President Donald Trump described Iran’s leaders as “scum,” “sick,” vicious and cruel during remarks delivered at the NATO summit in Ankara.

According to Dr. Mordechai Kedar, Western audiences may hear this as merely harsh political language. Iran’s rulers, however, come from a culture in which honor, dignity and public reputation carry enormous weight.

Kedar said Persians are intensely proud of their ancient civilization, history and scientific achievements. Publicly calling their leadership “scum,” especially when Trump repeated the word, could therefore be viewed as more serious than a military attack.