Tehran: Iran on Tuesday strongly criticised Google Earth, the virtual globe programme of the US-based search engine, for using term "Arabian Gulf" to show the water body historically known as the Persian Gulf, official IRNA news agency reported.

Speaking to reporters, foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said the use of different name by the map programme was a desperate attempt to falsify historical facts.

"Forging a name for the Persian Gulf will definitely tarnish the reputation of the website in the eyes of Iranians and other nations worldwide," he told reporters.

"The attempt to forge historical facts and legal documents of the international community, the UN, indicated the opportunist and ambitious attitude of directors of the website," he said, expressing regret over the failed and seditious conspiracy.

The official noted that the foreign ministry has succeeded earlier to foil such ill attempts through authentic historical documents and defended the identity of the Iranian heritage, the Persian Gulf, in international organizations.

In 2004, the National Geographic Society had mentioned Arabian Gulf instead of Persian Gulf in its World Atlas. But following huge protest by Iranians, the NGS made the correction in the eighth edition of its World Atlas.

 

Source : IANS