WASHINGTON, DC – Following reports that the suspension of sanctions exemptions as part of “Economic D-Day” is now blocking Iranians from taking required global educational tests – including the TOEFL, GRE and Duolingo English Test – the National Iranian American Council urgently called on the Trump administration toreverse its suspension of humanitarian, educational and cultural sanctions exemptions targeting Iranians and Iranian Americans.
“There is no world in which the U.S. preventing young Iranians from taking English proficiency tests leads to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and yet that appears to be the rationale for this cruel new policy,” said NIAC President Jamal Abdi. “The Trump administration would be wise to bolster the limited educational, humanitarian and cultural channels that exist between ordinary Iranians and the United States, rather than send a message that the U.S. is at war with the Iranian people.”
Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administers the TOEFL and GRE exams, has suspended testing in Iran, and the Duolingo English Test has also now been made unavailable in Iran and potentially for users with Iranian IDs.
NIAC warned at the outset of “Economic D-Day” that the policy explicitly targeted important humanitarian, cultural, and academic activities that would harm ordinary Iranians. The administration’s broader suspensions, set to take full effect September 8, would also revoke authorizations that have allowed Iranian Americans to send personal remittances to family members in Iran, American universities to provide educational opportunities to Iranian students, and American and Iranian athletes to participate in sports exchanges.
“These exemptions were first established over a decade ago to resolve harmful unintended consequences of U.S. sanctions, such as cutting ordinary Iranians off from academic opportunities. Now, it appears that these have become very much intended consequences aimed at the Iranian people, which is a self-defeating message for the U.S. to send to Iranians and the world,” said Abdi. “There is absolutely no justification for this, and so we urge Secretary Bessent and the Trump administration as a whole to reverse this before more harm is done.”
NIAC’s letter warns that Iranian students will now face overlapping barriers to studying in the United States: a travel ban preventing Iranians from securing U.S. visas, alongside sanctions restricting access to English proficiency exams, educational services and enrollment in U.S. universities.
The suspension of the remittance authorization could also leave Iranian Americans facing severe legal and financial penalties for seeking to send money to family members in Iran for basic needs like healthcare, rent, groceries and elder care.
NIAC is calling on the Treasury Department to immediately reverse the suspensions and restore the longstanding general licenses.
Read NIAC’s full letter below.
NIAC Letter Iran General Licenses