Iran to ban airlines not using the term 'Persian Gulf'

[Sheilbh]

That's what I don't understand - I didn't think that Iran liked the terms "Persia" and "Persian", which is why they campaigned under the Shah to get the world to call the country "Iran" instead of "Persia"? Is it because they consider the Gulf to be named for the province of Persis rather than the country? That seems rather strange to me.

Iran's an ancient name for the land of the Aryans, which is roughly where Iran now is.  I believe the word emIran was used to describe the non-Aryan lands within the Persian Empire so the other ethnic and national groups like the Jews and Babylonians would be there.  Persia and Iran have been used by different regimes for different reasons.  For example the Shah's father renamed 'Persia' 'Iran' because he saw 'Persia' as having been discredited as a puppet of foreign powers under the Qajar dynasty.  His son restored the use of Persia and loved that aspect of Iranian history (the preposterous 2500 year anniversary of the Persian monarchy, for example).  The Islamic Republic returned to Iran for much the same reasons Reza Shah used it.

But the simpler answer is that I believe the Persian Gulf's name is the Persian Gulf even in Farsi.

[Josquius]

I thought much of the modern use of Iran was down to UK not England sort of reasons- yes  the Persians are the biggest and in practice dominant group but they're not the only group in the country and not officially the out and out leaders. Its the land of all Iranians.

[Neil]

They already have an Arabian Sea, why do they need a gulf?

The Arabs are a little people, a silly people, greedy, barbarous and cruel.

But then again, so are the Persians.

[The Brain]

There was a great thread on EUOT where several Iran apologists claimed that Iran is not antisemitic and that gays there are just fine. It was finally: locked. 

[Sheilbh]

I thought much of the modern use of Iran was down to UK not England sort of reasons- yes  the Persians are the biggest and in practice dominant group but they're not the only group in the country and not officially the out and out leaders. Its the land of all Iranians.

No, if anything Persia's more inclusive than Iran.

[grumbler]

No, if anything Persia's more inclusive than Iran.

That's the opposite of my understanding but would love to be enlightened.  Are you saying that everyone in Iran, plus some, would consider themselves Persians?  Or are you saying something else?

My understanding is that virtually all Persians (80%+) are Iranians, but that Iranians include Kurds, Azeris, and others as about 1/3 of the population.