OAKLAND — Iran's foreign minister has confirmed that the mothers of three Americans arrested along the Iraqi border in July will be allowed to visit them in a Tehran prison.

Manouchehr Mottaki said on state television today that the Iranian government has ordered its U.N. mission in New York to issue visas to the mothers of the three Americans.

Mottaki says Iran made the decision on humanitarian grounds. Iran has accused Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal of illegal border crossing, espionage and having links to U.S. intelligence. Their relatives and the U.S. government have denied the spying accusations and called for their release.

"We're packed," said Shourd's mother, Nora Shourd, formerly of Oakland, in a phone interview