U.S. considers banning Iranians from shopping at Costco during UN meeting

The UN flag flies on a stormy day at the United Nations during the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

HOUSTON — The Trump administration already has denied visas for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his large delegation to attend a high-level UN meeting this month and is now considering ramping up restrictions on several other delegations that would severely limit their ability to travel outside New York City.

Potential travel and other restrictions could soon be imposed on the delegations from Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe and, perhaps surprisingly, Brazil, which has held a traditional place of honour during the high-level leaders gathering at the U.N. General Assembly that begins Sept. 22, according to an internal State Department memo seen by The Associated Press.

While the potential restrictions are still under consideration and the circumstances could change, the proposals would be another step in the Trump administration’s crackdown on visas, including a wide-ranging review of those already holding legal permissions to come to the U.S. and those seeking entry to head to the UN meeting.

The movements of Iranian diplomats are severely limited in New York, but one proposal being floated would bar them from shopping at big, members-only wholesale stores like Costco and Sam’s Club without first receiving the express permission of the State Department.

Such stores have been a favourite of Iranian diplomats posted to and visiting New York because they are able to buy large quantities of products not available in economically isolated Iran for relatively cheap prices and send them home.

It was not immediately clear if or when the proposed shopping ban for Iran would take effect, but the memo said the State Department also was looking at drafting rules that would allow it to impose terms and conditions on memberships in wholesale clubs by all foreign diplomats in the U.S.

For Brazil, it was not clear if any potential visa restrictions affect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva or lower-level members of the country’s delegation to the high-level UN gathering.

Brazil’s president is traditionally the first world leader to speak before the gathered leaders on the opening day of the session. The U.S. president is by precedent the second speaker.

Lula has been a target of U.S. President Donald Trump, who objects to his government’s prosecution of his friend, former President Jair Bolsonaro, on allegations of leading an attempted coup.

One country that will see fewer restrictions is Syria, whose delegation members have received a waiver for limitations that have been put on their UN travel for more than a decade.

That waiver was issued last week, according to the memo, and comes as the Trump administration seeks to build ties following the ouster last year of Syria’s president, Bashar Assad, and integrate the once-pariah nation into the Middle East.

Though named as possible targets, the memo did not specify what restrictions might be imposed on the Sudanese and Zimbabwean delegations.

The State Department did not immediately provide comment.

Matthew Lee, The Associated Press