The Iranian president has criticised the recent arrests of journalists amid an ongoing crackdown by the country’s hardliners.

According to a report on Thursday in the state-owned daily IRAN, Hassan Rouhani said hardliners “misuse” remarks by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the possible spread of US influence in Iran as an excuse for the detentions.

The president was referring to Khamenei’s statements this week that reflect deep suspicions of the US and prevailing views among hardliners in Iran that US policies are a threat to the country.

The paper quoted Rouhani as saying the hardliners were “exaggerating the case” and making baseless arrests. He spoke during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

“We shouldn’t detain one or two people, here and there, while exaggerating the case and saying there is a ‘current’ (US) infiltration in Iran,” Rouhani said.

He also said that he hoped everyone in the country understood that it was not permissible to “abuse” Khamenei’s statements for “personal, group and factional interests”. Khamenei has the final say on all major policies.

Earlier in the week, the semi-official Fars news agency reported the arrests of five Iranian journalists, including two known reformists. The detentions follow the arrests of others, including two poets and a film-maker.

The crackdown and sharp rhetoric come amid the hardliners’ push against a nuclear deal with world powers and ahead of crucial parliamentary elections in February.

On Wednesday, Hamid Reza Moghaddamfar, an adviser to the powerful head of the Revolutionary Guards, said the crackdown against pro-western writers and journalists was aimed at fighting US “infiltration that is aimed at overthrowing (Iran’s) system”.

On Thursday, Fars reported that the commerce minister, Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, had banned the import of American consumer goods.

The decision came after Khamenei warned on Sunday against importing American consumer goods as sanctions are lifted under the nuclear deal.

Iran’s imports from the US reportedly reached $140m (£92m) in the first half of 2015, around 60% higher than in the same period in 2014. The imports mainly consist of medical devices, food and seeds.