Iranians Should Voluntarily Abandon Foreign Messaging Apps, Official Says

According to Saed News, Mirsalim, a member of Iran’s Expediency Council, told Khabar Online that Israel-backed platforms are exploiting VPNs and foreign apps to collect intelligence, warning that such tools are increasingly weaponized against national security. He urged the public to reject these services, which he said feed user data to Zionist intelligence networks supported by AI systems.

Mirsalim noted that although the government imposed restrictions on foreign platforms years ago, the rationale behind these actions was not properly communicated to the public. “If the people act with awareness and refuse to use these apps on their own, there will be no need for state-imposed filtering,” he said, reiterating that Israeli-backed platforms pose a direct threat.

He added that domestic messaging platforms have made significant progress and could readily replace foreign alternatives—if not for what he described as enemy-led smear campaigns causing public skepticism.

Asked whether internet filtering might be lifted post-conflict, Mirsalim said the more effective approach would be for users to abandon foreign platforms of their own accord, arguing this would be more impactful than legal restrictions.

On the question of nationalizing Iran’s internet, Mirsalim confirmed that the government’s main goal remains to launch a secure national information network—an initiative he admitted has been delayed but hopes will be expedited through domestic expertise.

“People used to think the government was simply trying to impose limits,” he said, “but today, with clearer evidence of Israeli espionage, the need to block these tools is beyond dispute.”