The Trump administration has expanded economic sanctions against Iran through an operation termed “Economic Outcast,” adding five additional sectors to existing restrictions. These newly targeted sectors include aviation, digital assets, gold, shipping, and technology, joining previously sanctioned areas such as financial services, construction, and manufacturing. The sanctions framework employs secondary measures that can impose asset freezes and economic isolation on any individual or entity worldwide that conducts significant transactions within these sectors.
Among the latest actions, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control indefinitely suspended general licenses permitting education-related cooperation between American institutions and Iran. This suspension covers academic exchange programs, nonprofit educational services, and other learning initiatives. A wind-down period ending September 8 was established for existing activities, after which new authorization would be required to continue such programs.
The education sector restrictions have prompted major testing organizations to halt services. The Educational Testing Service suspended administration of TOEFL and GRE examinations in Iran and cancelled existing test appointments. Duolingo extended the restrictions further by banning its English language test for all users holding Iranian government-issued identification, including Iranian citizens located outside the country.
These measures have disrupted plans for thousands of Iranian students seeking language certifications necessary for admission to international universities, participation in scholarship programs, and employment opportunities abroad. Many individuals reported learning of the restrictions with minimal advance notice, forcing them to consider taking tests in neighboring countries such as Turkey and Armenia at additional cost. The administration stated the sanctions aim to economically isolate Iran’s government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to encourage behavioral changes, though observers note the restrictions significantly impact civilian populations seeking educational advancement.
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