TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei has criticized Washington for restrictions imposed on Iranian officials attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York, contrasting the measures with broader economic pressure and sanctions on Iran.

“Washington still seems to assume that nations have neither memory nor the capacity for critical thought,” Baqaei wrote in a post on X on Friday, accusing the United States of treating the international community as though it were a “hive” in which people simply accept Washington’s narrative.

"Washington treats the world as if it were Pluribus: a hive in which minds are expected to switch off, eyes lock onto Washington’s lips, and its narrative is swallowed whole," the spokesman added.

Baqaei was referring to US restrictions on Iranian officials’ access to wholesale shopping clubs and purchases of goods during their stay in New York for UN-related activities. Recent US measures bar Iranian officials covered by the restrictions from holding memberships in wholesale clubs and require authorization for certain luxury purchases.

The Iranian spokesman contrasted those measures with Washington’s “brutal economic war” against Iran, saying it was designed to inflict “maximum pain and suffering” on Iranian citizens.

“On one side stands a brutal economic war, deliberately designed to inflict maximum pain and suffering on every Iranian citizen. On the other stands the theatrical announcement of measures to stop Iranian officials from supposedly shopping at an American wholesale club,” he wrote.

Baqaei said Washington was overlooking the impact of sanctions on Iran’s economy while issuing statements about restrictions on access to a shopping-club membership.

“They look past the sanctioning of an entire nation’s livelihood, then issue solemn statements about the sanctioning of a store membership card,” he said.

He further described the US measures as “propaganda,” arguing that they demonstrated the “naivety” of the mindset behind Washington’s policies toward Iran.

Baqaei also accused the United States of having launched what he termed an “unlawful war of choice” against Iran and said Washington had consequently been placed in an “embarrassing position.”

The post was accompanied by a video highlighting the contrast between the US restrictions on Iranian officials’ shopping in New York and broader US economic measures against Iran.

The dispute comes as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior Iranian officials have been granted permission to travel to New York for the upcoming UN General Assembly. The US administration has said the Iranian delegation will face strict travel and purchasing restrictions during its stay.