The mother of one of three Americans detained in Iran expressed concern on Sunday about her son’s welfare, after he and his companions reportedly strayed across the border from Iraq.
“My husband and I are eager for the best welfare and conditions for our son, Josh, and for the other two companions he’s with, and that is our only concern, his welfare, and the best conditions for him,” Laura Fattal told reporters.
The trio was arrested on Saturday, Iranian state TV reported, saying they “infiltrated through the Iraqi border” and had not heeded warnings from Iranian border guards. It cited a “well-informed source” in the Interior Ministry.
The fourth member of their group, Shon Meckfessel, didn’t go on an ill-fated hike because he had a cold, his grandmother, Irene Meckfessel, said from her home in Carmichael, California.
He called her on Saturday from the US embassy in Baghdad, she said.
Meckfessel and another of the missing hikers were both studying Arabic, she said.
“He’s very much interested in people and languages and he’s working on a PhD in linguistics,” she said.
The four had traveled to Turkey, then entered Iraq on Tuesday and traveled to Sulaimaniyah, the Kurdish regional government said. On Thursday, one stayed behind while the other three took a taxi to the resort town of Ahmed Awaa, it said.
The regional government’s statement said the three got lost during an excursion and were detained by Iranian authorities at the border.
The area where the trio disappeared is a popular hiking destination known for a picturesque waterfall and rocky scenery as well as a thick growth of fruit and nut trees.
Camping equipment and two backpacks apparently belonging to the Americans were found in the area and it seemed they were hiking above the waterfall when they accidentally crossed the border, a Kurdish security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release the information.
Shortly before their capture, the three contacted Meckfessel to say they had entered Iran by mistake and were surrounded by troops, the official said.
The US, which does not have diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic, said it has asked Switzerland, which represents its interests in Tehran, to confirm the Iranian reports.
“Our embassy in Tehran is in contact with the Iranian Foreign Ministry and is trying to get a confirmation of the situation,” Swiss Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nadine Olivieri said.
Swiss diplomats have asked for consular access to the Americans if their presence in Iran is confirmed, she said.
The autonomous Kurdish government in northern Iraq said it was in contact with Iranian and US officials in a bid to resolve the issue.
‘SHARP COMPETITION’: Australia is to partner with US-based Lockheed Martin to make guided multiple launch rocket systems, an Australian defense official said Australia is to ramp up missile manufacturing under a plan unveiled yesterday by a top defense official, who said bolstering weapons stockpiles would help keep would-be foes at bay. Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said the nation would establish a homegrown industry to produce long-range guided missiles and other much-needed munitions. “Why do we need more missiles? Strategic competition between the United States and China is a primary feature of Australia’s security environment,” Conroy said in a speech. “That competition is at its sharpest in our region, the Indo-Pacific.” Australia is to partner with US-based weapons giant Lockheed Martin to make
BEYOND WASHINGTON: Although historically the US has been the partner of choice for military exercises, Jakarta has been trying to diversify its partners, an analyst said Indonesia’s first joint military drills with Russia this week signal that new Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto would seek a bigger role for Jakarta on the world stage as part of a significant foreign policy shift, analysts said. Indonesia has long maintained a neutral foreign policy and refuses to take sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict or US-China rivalry, but Prabowo has called for stronger ties with Moscow despite Western pressure on Jakarta. “It is part of a broader agenda to elevate ties with whomever it may be, regardless of their geopolitical bloc, as long as there is a benefit for Indonesia,” said Pieter
TIGHT CAMPAIGN: Although Harris got a boost from an Iowa poll, neither candidate had a margin greater than three points in any of the US’ seven battleground states US Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in the final days before the election, as she and former US president and Republican presidential nominees make a frantic last push to win over voters in a historically close campaign. The first lines Harris spoke as she sat across from Maya Rudolph, their outfits identical, was drowned out by cheers from the audience. “It is nice to see you Kamala,” Harris told Rudolph with a broad grin she kept throughout the sketch. “And I’m just here to remind you, you got this.” In sync, the two said supporters
Pets are not forgotten during Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations, when even Fido and Tiger get a place at the altars Mexican families set up to honor their deceased loved ones, complete with flowers, candles and photographs. Although the human dead usually get their favorite food or drink placed on altars, the nature of pet food can make things a little different. The holiday has roots in Mexican pre-Hispanic customs, as does the reverence for animals. The small, hairless dogs that Mexicans kept before the Spanish conquest were believed to help guide their owners to the afterlife, and were sometimes given
RSS