U.S. Blocks Iranian Diplomats From Shopping at Costco, Imposes Luxury Goods Ban During UN Visit
The Trump administration has moved to restrict Iranian diplomats visiting the United States from accessing wholesale retailers such as Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale Club, as part of a broader effort to limit what officials describe as luxury privileges for the Iranian regime during their visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
In a statement released Monday, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the new restrictions are aimed at preventing Iranian officials from engaging in what he called a “shopping spree” while Iranian citizens continue to suffer under economic hardship.
“We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York while the Iranian people endure poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and dire shortages of water and electricity,” Pigott said.
According to a notice scheduled for publication in the Federal Register, Iranian diplomats — including those stationed at the Iranian Mission in New York — will now require U.S. government approval to obtain memberships and make purchases at any wholesale club store. These stores, known for selling goods in bulk at reduced prices, are widely used by diplomats and foreign delegations to procure goods often unavailable or heavily sanctioned in their home countries.
The policy also includes restrictions on luxury goods. Iranian officials will need specific permission to purchase any item valued over $1,000, including electronics, watches, jewelry, leather and silk apparel, perfumes, alcohol, and vehicles priced above $60,000.
In addition to commercial restrictions, the U.S. has re-imposed strict limitations on the movement of Iranian diplomats, confining them to the immediate vicinity necessary to travel between the United Nations headquarters and their accommodations. This echoes similar restrictions from previous years but arrives at a time of heightened geopolitical tension and ongoing disputes over Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to lead the Iranian delegation to the UN, amid rising uncertainty over the future of the 2015 nuclear agreement and the anticipated re-imposition of UN sanctions that were previously lifted under the accord.
The U.S. also denied entry to Palestinian Authority officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, blocking them from attending a scheduled two-state solution conference on Monday.
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