US Bans Iranian Diplomats at UN from Costco, Luxury Shopping
Bloomberg3 days
US Bars Iranian Diplomats from Costco Shopping Without Approval
Above: A Costco store in New York, U.S., on Saturday, May 20, 2023. Image copyright: Guan/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Iran narrative
These restrictions by the Trump administration send a powerful message of solidarity with the Iranian people who suffer under their regime's mismanagement and intolerable thirst for luxury. Iran's shameless clerical elites shouldn't enjoy shopping sprees in New York while their citizens endure poverty, crumbling infrastructure and dire shortages of water and electricity. The bold measures prevent regime officials from exploiting diplomatic travel to obtain goods unavailable to ordinary Iranians.
Pro-Iran narrative
This shopping ban is an unprecedented and petty move that goes beyond regular diplomatic protocols and is further proof of the Trump administration's irrational anti-Iran stance. While movement restrictions near the U.N. are standard for adversarial nations, the explicit ban on wholesale club memberships and luxury purchases is a novel tactic geared more toward symbolic politics than practical security. The measures transform routine diplomatic settings into yet another front for escalating confrontations.
Metaculus Prediction
Editor's Note
This story currently has limited reporting from right-leaning sources. We will continue to monitor all major outlets and update our coverage as additional perspectives become available.