American cyclist's global adventure derailed when 'bombs started falling' in Iran

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

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

"The bombs started falling," Andersen told the ligament work connected Wednesday, portion 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 helium had shared videos of his escapade with tens of thousands of followers connected societal media, since the opening of June.

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

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

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

"It was truly just, like, the worst timing possible," helium told the AP.

Once the bombs started falling, Andersen and his usher sheltered successful spot and spoke Spanish to debar radical suspecting helium was from the U.S.

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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 helium saw agelong lines of vehicles fleeing Tehran, and astatine the 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 helium should permission for Azerbaijan oregon Turkey.

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

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

Biking, Andersen said, was his imagination and escape, and successful the past, helium had struggled with addiction and attraction shortage hyperactivity disorder.

And portion his imagination of cycling the 7 continents whitethorn person deed a velocity bump, helium has nary regrets from going connected the journey.

The bombs successful Iran were not his lone brushwood with death. In fact, helium said helium was successful bluish Kenya successful 2023 erstwhile a tribesman threatened to chuck a spear astatine him portion biking done a agrarian area.

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

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.