Islamic Republic’s police chief has once again issued a harsh warning to potential protesters ahead of the first anniversary of anti-regime demonstrations in mid-September.

The Chief of the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ahmedreza Radan, described the firm handling of troublemakers and thugs as a serious police directive, stating: I assure everyone that we will not be lenient against lawbreakers."

As the anniversary of the Women, Life Freedom movement approaches, Iranian officials and hardliner clerics have repeatedly warned potential demonstrators that the government will harshly deal with them. It took the regime months to quell nationwide street protests that started last September, when Mahsa Amini was killed in hijab police custody. Now, officials and hardcore regime supporters are concerned that a new round of protests will start next month.

Radan who was appointed at police chief in January amid the most serious antiregime protests in the past four decades, has been sanctioned by the United States for being “responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses against citizens of Iran or their family members."

He replaced Gen. Hossein Ashtari, whom according to Iran International’s sources, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei scolded for his “incompetence” in quelling the protests.

Radan served as a deputy police chief from 2008 to 2014 and played a key role in the crackdown on protesters after the disputed 2009 presidential elections and in the formation of “morality police”.