Iran confirms detention of three Americans

An Iranian security official confirmed yesterday that three Americans had been arrested for "illegal entry" into Iran near the border with Iraq.

The detentions come as Washington is seeking to increase pressure on Teheran over its nuclear drive and amid deep political turmoil in Iran following President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in June.

"These three people whose identity is not known yet were arrested on the Malakh-Khor border near the town of Marivan," Iraj Hassanzadeh, deputy governor for security in Iran's Kordestan province, told the Fars news agency.

It quoted him as saying the three, whom he described as "middle-aged Americans", were in custody but also denying earlier media reports that they have already been interrogated.

"Anyone who seeks to illegally enter the country from the Kordestan border will be arrested," Mr Hassanzadeh said, referring to an area near the frontier with the Kurdish area of northern Iraq.

US media have identified the trio who went missing on Saturday while backpacking in the rugged mountains between Iraq and Iran as Shane Bauer, Sara Shourd and Joshua Fattal - all in their mid-20s.

Mr Hassanzadeh told Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam television that the three were arrested "four days ago". He told Fars that the detainees had Syrian and Iraqi visas.

Iranian state television said various foreign media outlets had presented the three Americans as tourists, hikers, journalists and even "CIA agents".

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday called on Iran to ensure their safe return.

Switzerland, which in the absence of US-Iranian diplomatic relations represents American interests in Iran, had been asked to help track them down, she added.

American media said Mr Bauer, a photo-journalist, Ms Shourd, an English teacher and Mr Fattal, an adventurer with a passion for travel, had all travelled to the Middle East late last year, although it was unclear if they had gone together.

On this trip, a fourth American travelling with them had decided to stay behind in a hotel in the Kurdish region's second largest city of Sulaimaniyah. (AFP)