Persian Gulf

American  

noun

1. an arm of the Arabian Sea, between SW Iran and Arabia. 600 miles (965 km) long.

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Persian Gulf British  

noun

1. a shallow arm of the Arabian Sea between SW Iran and Arabia: linked with the Arabian Sea by the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman; important for the oilfields on its shores. Area: 233 000 sq km (90 000 sq miles)

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Persian Gulf Cultural  

1. Arm of the Indian Ocean between Arabia and Iran.

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Discover More

The Persian Gulf oil fields are among the most productive in the world.

The Persian Gulf region was dominated by Britain for most of the twentieth century. After Britain's withdrawal in the late 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for influence in the region. (See Persian Gulf War.)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Persian Gulf

It has also had to reposition the USS George Washington vessel and its escort warships to the Persian Gulf from Japan—thus removing the Navy’s only aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

Shuttle tankers belonging to Middle East state-controlled oil companies are hauling crude from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Gulf of Oman.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

They said more tankers have been leaving the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf with transponders turned off — known as “dark crossings” — with satellite coverage limited and ship-to-ship transfers increasing.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

Iran’s recently created agency, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, identified 46 vessels it says violated its rules for crossing the strait and threatened them with fines, detention or seizure of their cargoes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Blue Team’s sixteen lost ships, which were lying at the bottom of the Persian Gulf, were refloated.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell