Journalism of Courage
US President Donald Trump’s administration is blocking Iranian diplomats from accessing the “wholesale club stores” like Costco in order to restrict them from purchasing luxury items from the United States, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement on Monday.
Pigott further added in the statement that Iranian officials, who are visiting New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly session, have been restricted “to the areas strictly necessary to transit to and from the UN headquarters district to conduct their official UN business,” CNN reported. Reports suggested the US government has put restrictions on Iranian officials movements in the past.
The US State Department has said that Iranian delegation, including Tehran’s officials who are working at the Iranian Mission in New York, must procure approval in order to receive a membership and purchase items “at any wholesale club store in the United States, to include but not limited to Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s Wholesale Club.”
The State department also clarified that Iranian officials will also need to have permission to purchase “luxury items” which are valued above $1,000 including watches, leather and silk apparel, furs, jewelry, perfumes, electronics, and alcohol.
The notice, which is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register, added that officials from Tehran must have permission to purchase cars that are valued above $60,000. Several products that are easily available in America are currently not available in Iran due to the heavy sanctions imposed against them.
“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,” spokesperson Pigott said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to be in New York and lead Tehran’s delegation for the annual UN General Assembly gathering.
(with inputs from CNN)
