BERN, Switzerland — Swiss diplomats are trying to find out what happened to three American hikers reportedly captured in Iran, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
The Swiss Embassy in Tehran is working to learn more about the Americans' fate through its contacts with the Iranian Foreign Ministry, spokeswoman Nadine Olivieri said.
Iranian guards detained the three American tourists Friday after they allegedly crossed the border from northern Iraq, Iran state TV said.
One of the missing Americans has been identified as Joshua Fattal by Kurdish authorities. Laura Fattal, Joshua's mother who lives in Elkins Park, Pa., issued a brief statement Sunday.
"My husband and I are only concerned about Josh" and the two others, she said.
Switzerland has represented U.S. interests in Iran since American diplomats were taken hostage at the embassy in Tehran 30 years ago, and the State Department has said it asked the country to intervene in this case.
Swiss diplomats have asked for consular access to the Americans if their presence in Iran is confirmed, Olivieri said.
Iran's state owned Arabic-language al-Alam TV station cited a "well-informed source" in the Interior Ministry as saying the three American hikers were detained Friday.
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