US sanctions lead Coursera to block online learning in Iran and Cuba

US sanctions on nations such as Iran and Cuba are making it harder for students there to access online education, as US regulators have decided that US companies and universities need special permission to make online courses available to sanctioned nations. Coursera, a major provider of massive open online courses or Moocs, has begun blocking access to its site for users in Iran, Sudan and Cuba while it works with US regulators to secure an exception from the nation’s trade sanctions on those nations.