NEW YORK -- Diplomats from Iran must now seek permission from the U.S. government in order to shop at wholesale club stores, thanks to a Trump administration decision. The ban was announced Monday by the Department of State, according to the Associated Press, and applies to diplomats based in or visiting New York.

“We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York while the Iranian people endure poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and dire shortages of water and electricity,” read part of a statement from the State Department.

The move comes after the agency’s Office of Foreign Missions determined that shopping in stores like Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s Wholesale Club is a “benefit” that requires U.S. government approval. The same logic

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