WASHINGTON, DC — Following the Trump Administration’s announcement of “Economic D-Day” sanctions, and its decision to suspend General Licenses for academic, humanitarian, and cultural exchanges with Iran, Iranian students are being squeezed. Last week, Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Duolingo announced they would block Iranians from taking English proficiency exams required for international study. Now, Pearson PLC and Pearson VUE have abruptly canceled scheduled Pearson Test of English (PTE) exams and invalidated pre-purchased vouchers for Iranian test-takers outside of Iran, citing compliance with U.S. sanctions.
“The Trump Administration’s decision to target students in Iran is draconian, but Pearson appears to be going even further than the law requires by punishing Iranians who are not even in Iran,” said NIAC President Jamal Abdi. “This appears to be sanctions overcompliance that is inflicting serious harms on innocent people. Pearson should immediately reinstate these tests for Iranians outside of Iran and Treasury must provide far more clarity and reassurance about what is and is not sanctionable.“
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) has called on the Trump administration to reverse its suspension of longstanding educational sanctions exemptions as the consequences for ordinary Iranians continue to grow. On August 31, 2026, NIAC sent a letter to the Trump Administration urging Treasury and State to reverse the suspension of humanitarian, educational and cultural sanctions exemptions targeting Iranians and Iranian Americans.
The latest cutoff threatens students and professionals who need standardized language tests for university admissions and immigration applications, including many who have already spent significant savings and now risk missing irreversible deadlines. Notably, Pearson already does not operate in Iran where the revocation of the recent general license would be expected to have the most impact. Its decision to bar Iranian nationals who are outside of the country does not appear to be required by the sanctions.
“This is exactly how broad sanctions metastasize,” said NIAC President Jamal Abdi. “Companies become afraid of touching anything connected to Iran and ordinary Iranians get locked out of services that were never supposed to be targets in the first place. With an institution as large as Pearson, we are deeply concerned this could spread well beyond English testing.”
The potential consequences of the Pearson development could extend even further than the cutoff of ETS and Duolingo English tests. Pearson is a major testing provider administering exams across numerous fields, including professional certifications. Overcompliance with U.S. sanctions could potentially result in Iranian nationals, including those living in the United States, being denied access to other critical exams and certifications.
Standardized educational testing has historically operated under OFAC General Licenses, including General License G, allowing routine educational exchanges and services despite broad U.S. sanctions. NIAC has sent letters to the Treasury and State Departments calling for these protections to be restored and is working to raise the issue in Congress.
“The administration needs to reverse this policy before even more doors are slammed shut on Iranian students,” Abdi added. “Companies like Pearson, Duolingo, and ETS should also be pressing Treasury for a reversal and seeking clarity on what is permitted and asking for specific licenses if necessary in the meantime – rather than simply cutting Iranians off.”
The policy also runs counter to the views of Iranian Americans themselves. NIAC polling shows that Iranian Americans oppose broad sanctions that hurt ordinary Iranians.
NIAC reiterates its call on the Treasury and State Departments to immediately reverse the suspension of educational sanctions exemptions and restore access to critical educational services for Iranians.