Its length is 989 kilometers, with Iran occupying most of the northern coast and Saudi Arabia most of the southern coast. Its western end is marked by the major river delta of the Shatt al-Arab, which carries the waters of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. This inland sea of some 251,000 km² is connected to the Gulf of Oman in the east by the Strait of Hormuz. The Persian Gulf is rich with abundant fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pearl oysters, but its ecology has come under pressure from industrialization and construction. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the gulf gave its name to the United States-led ejection of Iraqi forces from Kuwait, called the Persian Gulf War, or the Gulf War even though most of the action took place on land. Because of its natural resources, access to the Persian Gulf has become the focus of international tension, such as the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers. The Persian Gulf and its coastal areas are the world's largest single source of crude oil, and related industries dominate the region. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes controversially referred to as the Arabian Gulf by certain Arab countries or simply The Gulf, although neither of the latter two terms is recognized internationally. It is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.
The Persian Gulf is located in Southwest Asia. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Oman (exclave of Musandam)