Iranian President Mohammed Khatami published an open letter on 3 May in which he defended his reforming presidency. In the 47-page letter, addressed to the Iranian people, Khatami conceded that not all his reforms had been successful, primarily because reforming legislation had often been blocked by the conservative Guardians Council. However, the president insisted that change would continue, citing a gradual softening of the hardliners' position. 'There have been changes of such an extent in social, cultural and political relations that it is impossible to return to the period of before the reforms,' said Khatami. 'We do not pretend that our attempt to defend the rights of the people have succeeded in every domain, nor that the people have seen all their aspirations fulfilled.'