The mothers of three American hikers detained in Iran met with their children Thursday.

Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were arrested after crossing into Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan last July. Iran has accused them of spying.

But their families said the three hikers accidentally strayed across an unmarked border into Iran while on a hiking trip in the mountains of Kurdistan.

Iran granted visas to the three mothers, who arrived wearing black head scarves. The women tightly embraced their children for the first time in 10 months.

"I'm very grateful to the Iranian authorities for allowing us to be here," said Cindy Hickey, Bauer's mother. "I come with an open heart, I come with a grateful heart, and I come with a mother's heart. I have real strong hopes of the great possibility of bringing them home, I would like to plea for that."

Washington, D.C. insists the Americans are innocent and should be released. But the Iranian government has renewed accusations of espionage against them.