Iran confirms arrest of three American tourists: White House

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- A senior U.S. official said on Sunday that Iran has officially confirmed the arrest of three Americans who hiked into its territory from Iraq.

"The (Iranian) government has officially acknowledged they have them in their custody. That is of this morning that we have that confirmation," President Barack Obama's national security adviser Jim Jones said on NBC television.

It was reported early this month that three American tourists, who visited Ahmed Awa area at the town of Halabja in the province of Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, were arrested by Iranian forces after they crossed the border with Kurdistan region to Iran as they were total strangers in the area.

The United States has been urging Iran to provide information about the three Americans.