For months, Iran has been the site of nationwide protests, where thousands have marched across the country each night chanting "death to the dictator", a reference to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Some are calling for the return of the dynasty which ruled Iran before the 1979 revolution.
The Iranian government has responded with force.
Iranians here have been "living in fear" about what the next day will bring for their families overseas.
A Iranian man living in Dunedin said it had all been "incredibly painful and overwhelming".
"Every day begins and ends with fear — fear for my friend and family’s safety and fear of silence when messages don’t come through."
The Iranian government has shut down telecommunications.
For Iranians in Dunedin, this has made their worry for their families worse.
"When we do manage to speak, conversations are brief and guarded because people fear being monitored."
He said being far away did not bring peace — it brought guilt, helplessness and the pain of watching loved ones suffer from a distance.
"What my family describes is a country living in terror; mass arrests, violence on the streets and a constant sense that anything you say or do could put your life at risk.
"The government does not listen, does not address the nation’s concerns and shows no restraint when people protest."
Despite everything, he hopes that change will come.
He said the government’s use of fear was no longer working.
"No-one wants war: Iranians have already suffered enough. However, many people feel they have reached a dead end."
He wanted to see the current regime ousted and Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former shah, brought back to support a transition to democracy.
United States-based human rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested in two weeks of unrest.
Peace protest
• Members of the Iranian community in Dunedin will meet in the Octagon at noon tomorrow for a one-hour demonstration.
• The group plans to express their solidarity with civilians in Iran and to raise awareness about the ongoing loss of life there.
