On 21 March 1935, he issued a decree asking foreign delegates to use the term "Iran" in formal correspondence, in accordance with the fact that "Persia" was a term used for a country identified as "Iran" in the Persian language. It was, however, attributed more to the Iranian people than others, particularly the language. Opponents claimed that this act brought cultural damage to the country and separated Iran from its past in the West (see Iran naming dispute). The name "Iran" means "Land of the Aryans".