US Bars Iranian Diplomats from Costco Shopping Without Approval

2 DAYS AGO·UPDATED 2 DAYS AGO

story

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.

CNN

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.

Kurdistan24

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.