Family Confirms US Hiker's Arrest in Iran

The mother of one of the three Americans detained while hiking near the Iran-Iraq border confirmed that her son has been arrested by Iranian security forces, reports CNN. Joshua Fattal of Pennsylvania and two friends, who were warned by Iraqi police not to hike in the border region, were seized Friday afternoon. The fourth American in the group, who stayed behind at the group's Iraqi hotel, is now at the US embassy in Baghdad.

A State Department spokesman told reporters that he has instructed the Swiss embassy in Tehran—which represents American interests, since the US has no diplomatic representation in Iran—to seek access to the hikers. Authorities in Iraq's Kurdish region have also attempted to mediate.
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