Mohammad Reza Aref, First Vice President of Iran, stated to reporters on Monday, August 17, that the primary objective of what he termed the “enemy” remains the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, claiming that they have planned a “serious social and cultural coup.”
Aref claimed that the administration had anticipated the occurrence of the “12-Day and Ramadan wars” and had prepared comprehensive plans for both scenarios, though it refrained from raising the matter publicly to preserve social stability.
The First Vice President also noted that he reads media critiques regarding government decisions daily and forwards them to cabinet ministers for follow-up.
In another part of his remarks, Aref announced the government’s decision to end internet filtering, stating: “The President has decided to close the case on filtering, but because of legal institutions and councils, this process takes time. I believe the filtering issue will be resolved gradually, and improving internet quality is important to the government.”
Criticizing the filtering policy, the First Vice President described the widespread use of VPNs as a “threat to national security” for the Islamic Republic, adding: “As a university professor, I do not understand what benefits filtering brings to the country.”