‘Horror’: Iranian in Hong Kong describes trying to reach loved ones back home

An Iranian resident in Hong Kong has described the past few days as a “horror” and a “nightmare”, as the latest escalation in the Middle East caused him to lose contact with loved ones due to failed internet connections and fear for their ability to get to safety.

Behzad Mirzaei, who has lived in Hong Kong for three decades and is the founder of the local Persian Club, said the stress from worrying about his family and friends in Iran had caused him to lose sleep.

“My mother is stuck there, my best friends are stuck there, my elder brother is stuck there and my younger brother is stuck in a different city,” he said.

He described the situation as a “nightmare”, especially since his hometown, Isfahan, where a research centre is located, was one of three nuclear sites that the United States military attacked on the weekend.

Mirzaei is among about 400 Iranians living in Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong, according to the Iranian embassy in the latter.

The community in Hong Kong comprises a number of PhD and postdoctoral students, as well as a few businesspeople and athletes.