US man's biking dream cut short in Iran as he flees Israel-Iran conflict
Ian Andersen was biking through Iran last week when Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and the country's military leaders, drawing Tehran's swift response with barrages of missiles. The 32-year-old from Minnetonka, Minnesota, said he did not expect to get caught up in what looked like a real war zone. He fled to neighbouring Azerbaijan on Monday.
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Bike tour to border ordeal: Minnesota man flees Iran as tensions rise
The Brief A Minnesota man biking across Europe and Asia barely gets out of Iran. He details he was in a sketchy room during an exit interview with Iranian officials where he felt there was a 50% chance of never walking out. He had to leave Tehran and head to Azerbaijan. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minnesota man barely gets out of Iran, as he puts it, he had a 50% chance of never walking out. This is stemming from the Israel-Iran conflict. His tour guide even said he could no longer protect him. What we know Ian Andersen started biking across Europe and Asia in February. He got to Iran on June 2, but his journey took a dangerous turn when Israel launched its airstrikes on Iran. "We're not going to Tehran after all. The situation is too dangerous," said Andersen in an Instagram video. That's the moment Andersen realized he had to change his biking plans from Tehran and head to Azerbaijan. "There's likely police blockages into the city and out of the city. I would truly be arrested," said Anderson. He posted the video on social media from a Saturday vlog, and it has been viewed more than a million times. What they're saying FOX 9 spoke to Andersen Wednesday after he was safe and sound. In his words, things got dicey when he had to do exit interviews. The first interview went fine. But then the second one. "They hold me into like a, like an army barracks with a couple of Europeans, Portuguese nationals," said Andersen. Andersen couldn't document that part of his travels, but he describes his feeling when he was in that room being interviewed. "This really sketchy room where, like, Okay, I've got like, a 50% chance of never walking out of here," said Anderson. Big picture view After this experience, Andersen expresses his empathy for everyone he met in Iran who are caught up in this conflict. "It makes, really, makes me think about all the people that can't leave, though it's like, I'm lucky to be here, out of here. But yeah, normal, everyday Iranians and Israelis who don't have the same good fortune, just stuck in the in the fallout of this, this whole thing," said Anderson. What's next: Andersen already biked from Alaska to Argentina nine years ago. His final destination is Japan, and he hopes to get there by Christmas.
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American cyclist's global adventure derailed when 'bombs started falling' in Iran
A Minnesota man with a dream of cycling across all seven continents was forced to come up with alternative plans after Israel launched a barrage of air strikes on Iran's military leaders and nuclear facilities, close to where he was riding. The Associated Press said 32-year-old Ian Andersen of Minnetonka, Minnesota did not plan to get stuck in a real war zone, so he rode to neighboring Azerbaijan on Monday. "The bombs started falling," Andersen told the wire service on Wednesday, while speaking on Zoom from a hotel in Baku. "It was extremely scary." Andersen was touring through Iran as part of a yearslong mission to ride his bike across all seven continents. While in Iran, Andersen had a local guide, and he had shared videos of his adventure with tens of thousands of followers on social media, since the beginning of June. Tugboats, Cruise Ships And Flights: Israel Begins Emergency Evacuation Of Citizens Amid Iran War "The day the bombs started falling" was Friday, and Andersen and his guide were heading south along the Caspian Sea coast, from Chalus toward the capital of Tehran. Read On The Fox News App Andersen had reportedly hoped to apply for a visa to Afghanistan in Tehran, with ambitions of crossing into Central Asia and onto Russia. "It was really just, like, the worst timing possible," he told the AP. Once the bombs started falling, Andersen and his guide sheltered in place and spoke Spanish to avoid people suspecting he was from the U.S. Caitlyn Jenner, Stuck In Israel After Iran Strike, Posts Pictures Of Chaos And Shelter He also said he saw long lines of vehicles fleeing Tehran, and at the same time, his own family, friends and social media followers had concerns for his safety. The U.S. State Department notified Andersen in an email that he should leave for Azerbaijan or Turkey. A friend of Andersen's in Los Angeles applied for a visa to Azerbaijan on his behalf, which was ultimately granted by the U.S. Embassy in Baku. Democratic Lawmakers Criticize Israel's Defensive Strikes Against Iran's Nuclear Sites Biking, Andersen said, was his dream and escape, and in the past, he had struggled with addiction and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. And while his dream of cycling the seven continents may have hit a speed bump, he has no regrets from going on the journey. The bombs in Iran were not his only brush with death. In fact, he said he was in northern Kenya in 2023 when a tribesman threatened to chuck a spear at him while biking through a rural area. "There's always going to be risk, and you have to accept it," he said. Now that he is out of Iran, Andersen said he is planning to ferry across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan, then head east into Uzbekistan. But from there, Andersen said he does not know where to go. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: American cyclist's global adventure derailed when 'bombs started falling' in Iran
