A farmer hanged himself on Monday outside the local agriculture department headquarters in Kahnuj in southeastern Iran in protest over mounting economic pressures, local rights group Haalvsh reported.
The farmer was identified as Reza Qalandari, a resident of Langabad village in Kahnuj, Kerman province.
"He had come under severe pressure due to his inability to pay the fine for renewing his agricultural motor permit and the denial of his fuel quota by the agriculture department," Haalvsh reported, citing an unnamed source.
The report added that his death shocked locals, with many describing it as a symbol of the authorities’ failure to address the struggles of farmers from the ethnic Baluch minority from which he hailed.
Iran is currently grappling with water shortages and widespread power outages amid high summer temperatures, while also dealing with recovery efforts following a 12-day war with Israel and its aftermath.
Sanctions, corruption and economic mismanagement have contributed to widespread economic hardship and market instability as Iran's currency the rial has lost over 90% of its value since US sanctions were reimposed in 2018.
A poll by Iran's leading economic newspaper Donya-ye Eqtesad last month showed that a vast majority of Iranians are dissatisfied with the government's economic policies, as costs of living soar and the value of the Iranian currency slips.
Specialist doctor dies by suicide
On the same day in Saravan, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Dr. Akram Shiri, an internal medicine specialist at Iranmehr Hospital, was found dead in her dormitory after taking medication, Haalvsh reported, marking the second suicide reported in southeastern Iran on Monday.
"The doctor’s body was found around 12:00 noon in the hospital dormitory. Reports indicate she went into cardiac arrest after taking medication and lost her life," Haalvsh reported, citing an unnamed source.
Her death is the latest in a series of suicides among Saravan medical staff over difficult working conditions, the report added.
In 2023, two emergency physicians, Dr. Fatemeh Rezaeipour and Dr. Mehran Khosravanian, also died by suicide within a month, and in April this year a Baloch nurse at Iranmehr Hospital took his own life.
Haalvsh's report said that their colleagues blame heavy workloads and punishing conditions for the repeated tragedies.
Experts have attributed the increased suicides in Iran to the systemic reluctance and neglect of Iranian authorities to address workers' conditions.
Last year, The Iranian Psychiatric Scientific Association highlighted an increase in suicides among medical professionals, saying that 16 medical residents took their own lives the previous year.
