American Cyclist's Global Adventure Derailed When 'bombs Started Falling' In Iran

A Minnesota man pinch a dream of cycling crossed each 7 continents was forced to travel up pinch replacement plans aft Israel launched a barrage of aerial strikes connected Iran’s subject leaders and atomic facilities, adjacent to wherever he was riding.

The Associated Press said 32-year-old Ian Anderson of Minnetonka, Minnesota did not scheme to get stuck successful a existent warfare zone, truthful he rode to neighboring Azerbaijan connected Monday.

"The bombs started falling," Andersen told nan ligament work connected Wednesday, while speaking connected Zoom from a edifice successful Baku. "It was highly scary."

Andersen was touring done Iran arsenic portion of a yearslong ngo to thrust his motorcycle crossed each 7 continents. While successful Iran, Andersen had a section guide, and he had shared videos of his escapade pinch tens of thousands of followers connected societal media, since nan opening of June.

TUGBOATS, CRUISE SHIPS AND FLIGHTS: ISRAEL BEGINS EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF CITIZENS AMID IRAN WAR

In this photograph provided by @ridewithian, Ian Andersen poses for a selfie adjacent nan Turkey-Iran border, connected Sunday, June 1, 2025.  (@ridewithian via AP)

"The time nan bombs started falling" was Friday, and Andersen and his guideline were heading southbound on nan Caspian Sea coast, from Chalus toward nan superior of Tehran.

Andersen had reportedly hoped to use for a visa to Afghanistan successful Tehran, pinch ambitions of crossing into Central Asia and onto Russia.

"It was really just, like, nan worst timing possible," he told nan AP.

Once nan bombs started falling, Andersen and his guideline sheltered successful spot and said Spanish to debar group suspecting he was from nan U.S.

CAITLYN JENNER, STUCK IN ISRAEL AFTER IRAN STRIKE, POSTS PICTURES OF CHAOS AND SHELTER

Cars thrust connected a road arsenic fume rises from an lipid retention installation aft it appeared to person been struck by an Israeli onslaught connected Saturday, successful Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

He besides said he saw agelong lines of vehicles fleeing Tehran, and astatine nan aforesaid time, his ain family, friends and societal media followers had concerns for his safety.

The U.S. State Department notified Andersen successful an email that he should time off for Azerbaijan aliases Turkey.

A friend of Andersen’s successful Los Angeles applied for a visa to Azerbaijan connected his behalf, which was yet granted by nan U.S. Embassy successful Baku.

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS CRITICIZE ISRAEL'S DEFENSIVE STRIKES AGAINST IRAN'S NUCLEAR SITES

A monolithic plume of fume and occurrence emergence from an lipid refinery successful confederate Tehran pursuing reports that an overnight Israeli onslaught targeted nan tract connected June 15, 2025. (ATTA KENARE/AFP)

Biking, Andersen said, was his dream and escape, and successful nan past, he had struggled pinch addiction and attraction shortage hyperactivity disorder.

And while his dream of cycling nan 7 continents whitethorn person deed a velocity bump, he has nary regrets from going connected the journey.

The bombs successful Iran were not his only brushwood pinch death. In fact, he said he was successful bluish Kenya successful 2023 erstwhile a tribesman threatened to chuck a spear astatine him while biking done a agrarian area.

"There’s ever going to beryllium risk, and you person to judge it," he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Now that he is retired of Iran, Andersen said he is readying to ferry crossed nan Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan, past caput eastbound into Uzbekistan. But from there, Andersen said he does not cognize wherever to go.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.