Americans jailed in Iran meet relatives

Three American hikers jailed in Iran met their families today in an emotional reunion for the first time since their arrest 10 months ago.

Sarah Shourd, 31; her boyfriend, Shane Bauer, 27; and their friend Josh Fattal, 27 were held along the Iraqi border and accused of spying.

Their relatives said the three were merely hiking in Iraq’s scenic and largely peaceful northern Kurdish region.

Today their mothers Nora Shourd, Cindy Hickey and Laura Fattal rushed to embrace them as they entered the room at a Tehran hotel.

Relatives have had little news on the three Americans since their arrest, and their mothers are eager to talk with them.

Iran’s intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi, defended their treatment during detention.

“We have treated the US nationals according to our religious principles and on humanitarian grounds, even though these individuals committed an act of espionage by illegally crossing the border into Iran,” he said.

Iran says the three entered Iranian territory from Iraq. The parents say that if they crossed the border it was by accident.

The case could face complications from Iran’s diplomatic showdown with the US and its allies. Just before the mothers’ arrival in Tehran, the United States said it had won support from other major powers for a new set of sanctions against Iran over its suspect nuclear programme.

The US, which has not had formal diplomatic relations with Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and its allies accuse Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.