Duolingo D-Day: Iranians question latest US sanctions targeting education

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that a new round of US sanctions on Iran is affecting education-related services in ways many Iranians say reach far beyond the government. The article says the Trump administration expanded secondary sanctions last week and also suspended a US Treasury general license that had allowed limited educational cooperation, along with permissions tied to sports, conferences and some remittances. The measures were announced in the context of Washington’s broader effort to intensify economic pressure on Tehran.

According to the report, testing companies have already begun changing access inside Iran. Educational Testing Service paused TOEFL and GRE administration in the country and cancelled existing appointments, while Duolingo said it would stop offering its English test to people testing in Iran or using Iranian government-issued identification. Al Jazeera notes that the Duolingo change also affects some Iranian passport holders outside Iran if they must rely on Iranian-issued ID. The company said affected users were being contacted about refunds or test completion.

The article says these steps are disrupting plans for students and job seekers who need language certificates for university admission, scholarships, research or work abroad. Some Iranians quoted by Al Jazeera described the sanctions as discriminatory because they appear to burden ordinary people more than officials. More broadly, the story places the issue within years of US sanctions that have contributed to currency weakness, higher prices and reduced access to financial and digital services in Iran.