US Bars Iranian Officials Attending UNGA From Bulk Shopping, Luxury Purchases

The United States has barred Iranian officials attending the ongoing 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, from engaging in what it described as a “shopping spree,” restricting their ability to purchase bulk household goods and luxury items.

According to a notice published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, Iranian diplomats and visiting officials will no longer be permitted to shop at major wholesale retailers such as Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale Club.

The order further stipulated that they must obtain special permission from the US State Department to buy luxury goods.

Items on the restricted list include watches, electronics, and fountain pens valued at over $1,000, as well as vehicles priced above $60,000, France24 reported, citing AFP.

State Department spokesman, Thomas Pigott, defended the move, describing it as part of Washington’s ongoing “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran.

“We will not allow the Iranian regime to let its clerical elites have a shopping spree in New York while the Iranian people endure poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and dire shortages of water and electricity,” Pigott said.

The ban came amid escalating US-Iran tensions. Iran’s economy has been severely strained by American sanctions, which have restricted access to essential goods and crippled oil exports, its main revenue source.

Since taking office earlier this year, President Donald Trump has pursued a hardline strategy to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program.

In June, his administration ordered airstrikes on three nuclear facilities, further heightening hostilities between the two nations.

The latest restrictions are largely symbolic, aimed at curbing Iranian officials’ activities while in the U.S. and reinforcing Washington’s determination to isolate Iran’s leadership both diplomatically and economically.