- Iranian diplomats in New York are barred from wholesale stores without State Department approval
- Iranian officials at UNGA can only travel between UN headquarters and essential locations
- Restrictions aim to enforce US sanctions and prevent Iranian elites' luxury purchases
The Donald Trump administration has barred Iranian diplomats based in or visiting New York from accessing wholesale stores such as Costco or purchasing luxury goods in the US without approval from the State Department.
Iranian officials visiting for the annual UN General Assembly are also restricted from travelling in the country. They are allowed to travel only between the UN headquarters and their necessary destinations and cannot move freely around the city, said Tommy Pigott, State Department spokesperson, according to CNN.
The move comes as part of the Oval Office's efforts to enforce US sanctions on Iran.
The restrictions are meant to prevent Iran's top leaders from enjoying luxury abroad while ordinary Iranians continue to struggle with poverty, shortages of water and electricity, and poor infrastructure.
"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," the department said.
The US State Department has stated that certain perks for diplomats, such as memberships at wholesale stores like Costco and the ability to buy luxury items, including watches, jewellery, handbags, perfumes, alcohol, and cars, require government approval.
The decision comes after Iranian diplomats were found to frequently shop at Costco in New York, purchasing large quantities of products hard or expensive to obtain in Iran, according to NBC News.
The State Department said, "By preventing Iranian regime officials from exploiting diplomatic travel to the UN as a means to obtain goods unavailable to the Iranian public, we are sending a clear message: When the United States says it stands with the people of Iran, we mean it."
In addition, Iranian diplomats are required to get approval before purchasing luxury goods valued over $1,000 or vehicles worth more than $60,000, according to Clifton Seagroves, head of the State Department's Office of Foreign Missions.
Along with this, the US has blocked visas for officials from the Palestinian Authority, including their President, Mahmoud Abbas. As a result, these officials could not attend a two-state solution conference held on Monday.
"The security of Americans is always our priority, and the United States will not allow the Iranian regime to use UNGA as an excuse to travel freely in New York to promote its terrorist agenda," said Pigott.
