Can the Iranian government permanently block VPNs?

In recent weeks, the news of Telegram being filtered and the claim by Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, regarding the beginning of VPN blockages has sparked considerable discussion. Therefore, a close examination of these two reports and separating unscientific claims while clarifying the current reality of filtering in Iran can significantly aid in understanding the situation. Internet censorship is a cat-and-mouse game! The first important point every internet user should know is that internet censorship is like a cat-and-mouse game. This means that the government or an organization attempting to censor the internet may completely cut access to a service - for example, Telegram - for a period, but users find ways to bypass the filtering using VPNs or other means and regain access to online services. Iran is no exception to this rule, and no matter how much officials talk about dealing with all VPNs and blocking them, they cannot achieve this in the long term because, just as the Iranian government finds ways to block VPNs, VPN providers also find ways to circumvent these blocks. The claim of blocking VPNs is incorrect! Although Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi has retracted his statements about the beginning of blocking VPNs, his comments faced backlash, with many users expressing their concerns about losing access to filtered websites and services like Twitter, as well as services unavailable due to U.S. sanctions against Iran. The most important point to always keep in mind regarding blocking VPNs is that the Iranian government and other governments cannot permanently block users' access to various VPNs, as explained above. However, different governments, including Iran, can disrupt users' access to the internet through VPNs. Although this disruption cannot be permanent, as other internet services and various startups in Iran would face problems and disruptions. The only way a government can completely cut access to VPNs is by entirely severing users' access to the global internet, allowing users to only visit and view websites and services hosted within Iran. While many believe that this scenario - complete severance of the global internet - may occur, I believe the likelihood of this happening, meaning a permanent cut of the internet, is nearly zero due to the high political and economic costs involved. The continued operation of VPNs in the long term Considering the two points mentioned above, the long-term outlook for the use and access to VPNs in Iran will not change significantly compared to previous years, and users will continue to use various VPNs, although they may face problems at times - like in the past two weeks. What internet users in Iran should know is that the Iranian government cannot continue to disrupt VPNs in the long term because the internet infrastructure in the country and consequently many businesses would face issues. In conclusion, in the cat-and-mouse game of internet censorship, the ultimate losers are those who support filtering, as users will ultimately find their way to access free internet. In this context, six ministers and two members of parliament have called for lifting the Twitter ban in Iran. Telegram DR and the importance of Telegram; from popularity to limitation. A request from seven non-profit organizations to Rouhani to challenge the filtering of Telegram. Changing the game for 'proxy forces'; the war against the people in the streets of Iran. The crisis in Iran; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iranian crisis. Internet shutdown in Iran has surpassed 300 hours; reports of 'evidence' of the deaths of injured patients. Accounts from three witnesses about the situation in Isfahan province; 'like war-torn areas'. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iranian crisis. Trump emphasizes 'stopping executions in Iran': we don't know what will happen in the future. Trump announces an agreement to hold a meeting about Greenland in Davos.