Brian Hook, the head of Iran Action Group at the U.S state department said: “Iranian people prefer employment to cursing.”

His comments come in response to President Rouhani’s speech on Monday at the end of his cabinet meeting where he said this to the people regarding the economic problems of the country: “Keep all your curses for those who have imposed these conditions on the country, and it is the Americans, the Zionists, and the fundamentalists in the region who have caused this condition.”

The Persian Twitter account of the state department quoted Brian Hook’s response: “In response to the paralyzed economy of the country, Rouhani has asked people to curse America, Israel, and Saudi Arabia! He is trying to find a scapegoat for his own shortcomings.”

Rouhani also said that Iran is planning on “suing anyone in the United States who is involved with the sanctions against Iran.”