The US Defense Department is reportedly considering a new strategy for Iran that would entail bombing the country "periodically" in an effort to keep ship traffic flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, a plan that one analyst said would…
Page A3From§Eachthe sunrise edition — 1 September 2026
Iran students blocked from study abroad as Pentagon plans permanent war
The receipts stack the ledger: Iranian students are locked out of study abroad tests by US sanctions (NYT), and the Pentagon's new plan for Iran is warned to be a 'permanent state of war' (Common Dreams). That's not just a military move — that's a generational blockade. The plans for endless war come dressed as stability, but they're paid for in opportunities lost — in this case, by the students who can't even sit for the exams needed to leave. The mechanism is the sequence: the Pentagon locks in the war, the sanctions lock out the kids. The headlines land flat, but the stakes are sharp. The war isn't just on the battlefield — it's on the classroom, the envelope, the exam room. The receipts say the future is what's getting sanctioned. In lieu of flowers, send a testing voucher.
“Sanctions cut off Iran's kids from their tests, and the Pentagon's new plan makes the war permanent. It's not just about missiles — it's about closing the doors to the future. If you want to know who's paying, it's the students with empty envelopes.”
“Sanctions are a necessary tool for national security, and any suggestion they're targeting students is misguided. The Pentagon's plan is about stability, not endless conflict — wait, did I say permanent? That's not official, that's just an analyst's opinion. Everyone benefits from a strong posture, except maybe the students, but that's collateral, not policy.”
The receipts
The latest measures have forced the cancellation of English proficiency and graduate exams, isolating many Iranians most eager to foster ties with the world.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.