The story
From trucial (“notably the Perpetual Maritime Truce of 1853”) + states.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Trucial States
Today it means: Former name of Trucial Oman: A collection of former protectorates (since the 1820 General Maritime Treaty) of the United Kingdom, comprising most of the small Arab coastal states (then sheikhdoms) located along the Persian Gulf. The precursor of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Full definition →