Hook's Reaction to Rouhani's Statements: Iranians Want Work and Employment Instead of Curses

Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, says the Islamic Republic's president has resorted to curses and magic. On Monday, March 18, Hassan Rouhani stated, 'Curse whoever you want for creating these conditions for the country.' Hours later, Hook reacted to these remarks by saying, 'In response to the country's paralyzed economy, [Hassan] Rouhani [the Islamic president] has asked the Iranian people to curse America, Israel, and Saudi Arabia!' He added that Rouhani 'is seeking to blame others for his performance by resorting to curses and magic.' The Iranian president, in the last cabinet meeting, stated that America, Israel, and their regional allies have created problems for Iran regarding currency and commodity prices. Rouhani criticized those who blame his government's management. Two days prior, he had also asked the judiciary to prosecute American officials and the 'designers' and 'helpers' of the sanctions against Iran for 'crimes against humanity' both 'inside and outside Iran.' The U.S. Special Representative for Iran stated on his virtual embassy's Twitter account, 'The Iranian people are interested in work and employment instead of cursing.' The Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear agreement with Iran in May and reinstated sanctions against Tehran. The U.S. government claims that to ensure the Islamic Republic 'changes its behavior,' it must never pursue nuclear weapons, cease what Washington calls 'destabilizing actions' in the region and 'support for terrorism,' end 'threats' against other countries, and halt its ballistic missile development program, leading to a 'maximum pressure' campaign on Tehran. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated in May that Washington would impose 'the toughest sanctions in history against Iran, and if the Iranian government does not change its behavior, the pressure of sanctions will increase.' U.S. officials say their intention is 'not to harm the Iranian people,' and the cause of the current economic situation is the Iranian government. Brian Hook mentioned that the sanctions do not target humanitarian transactions such as medicine and food. On the other hand, the Islamic Republic has described the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA as 'illegal.' Iranian officials claim they do not interfere in regional countries, and Tehran's missile program is 'defensive' and will not be abandoned. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, recently stated at the Munich Security Conference that the United States intends to change the regime in Iran and exited the nuclear agreement with this goal. U.S. officials, including the Secretary of State, claim their goal is 'to change the behavior' of the Iranian government.