The IRGC intelligence has assigned a hitman to poison and kill the vocal Sunni cleric of Zahedan, according to local media.

Haalvsh website, which covers the events in Sistan-Baluchestan province, reported on Monday that the security guards of Makki Mosque in which Mowlavi Abdolhamid makes his sermons, arrested a man in the guise of a religious student who wanted to assassinate the Sunni leader.

“The person, who is a Baluch and a resident of Delgan region in Sistan and Baluchistan province, has been sleeping and worshiping in the mosque for a long time in the dress of a student of religious studies,” explained Haalvsh.

According to the report, the suspect admitted that he received a salary of 150 million rials per week since the beginning of his operation.

In recent months, Abdolhamid has been under pressure by Iranian security to end his weekly protests and critical sermons on Fridays.

Since September during ongoing protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, Mowlavi Abdolhamid has made fiery speeches against the heavy crackdown and killing of protesters, calling government actions "felony".

He has also called for holding a referendum in Iran with the presence of international observers.

The Sunni city of Zahedan in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province has been witnessing protests against repressions and discrimination in the province following mass Friday prayers during the past thirteen weeks.