US bans Iranian diplomats from shopping at Costco without State Department approval

Published September 22, 2025 7:07pm ET



The United States banned Iranian diplomats from shopping at Costco and other wholesale club stores while visiting the United Nations General Assembly.

While the U.S. and Iran don’t have diplomatic relations, sanctions on diplomats are waived to allow all to attend the U.N. General Assembly. The State Department is ensuring that Iranian diplomats who are permitted into the country for the occasion can’t indulge in American luxuries without government approval.

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