shawn mcfessle stayed behind because he wasn't feeling well. this is a beautiful tourist destination but it's right up against the border with iran. so tourist police who ran into the three had actually warned them about the proximity that they were into iran, told them to be careful saying, look, you're american. you're not iraqi. and these are very tense times. the last that shawn mcfessle, who stayed behind heard from his three friends came in the form of a phone call at 1:30 on friday, where they said we are surrounded by iranian military personnel. that is the last that anyone has ever heard from them. obviously, there have been ongoing diplomatic efforts to try to gain access to the three. the u.s. state department saying that it has asked swiss diplomats in tehran to try to confirm iranian's press tv reports that the three have in fact been detained by the iranian border guards to try to seek counselor access to them, don. >> cnn's arwa damon. we appreciate it. more reaction tonight from the state department. senior state department offi

the last that shawn mcfessle, who stayed behind heard from his three friends came in the form of a phone call at 1:30 on friday, where they said we are surrounded by iranian military personnel. that is the last that anyone has ever heard from them. obviously, there have been ongoing diplomatic efforts to try to gain access to the three. the u.s. state department saying that it has asked swiss diplomats in tehran to try to confirm iranian's press tv reports that the three have in fact been detained by the iranian border guards, finance so to try to seek counselor access to them, don. >> cnn's arwa damon. we appreciate it. more reaction tonight from the state department. senior state department officials say while they have not had access to the americans they have no reason to doubt the reports of their detention on iranian state tv. >>> as if u.s. relations with iran were not complicated before, the unknown fate of the three american hikers inside iran now makes it even dicier. with me now is the president of the iranian american county sul and author of "the secret dealings of israel, i

. >> another american who travelled with them, shawn mcfessle, stayed behind in iraq. grandmother said he felt too sick to hike on friday. iran's media say the three were arrested for illegally entering the country and an investigation is underway. but switzerland represents the u.s. there, because the u.s. doesn't have diplomatic relations with iran. >>> meanwhile, 18 years after he was shot down in iraq, we finally know what happened to captain michael scott speicher. he was the first american shot down in the 1991 gulf war. the pentagon says his remains have been identified and recovered from a grave in the desert now. the discovery ends years of speculation that he was being held captive. >> it's a bittersweet ending. i mean, it's great that we have finally accomplished an ending. but it is bittersweet. you always hoped that he's going to be found alive. but yet on that end, if he was found alive, look what he's missed. his children are in college now, and, you know, what kind of life would he have led being a prisoner of war? >> he was shot down on the first night