Police said they detained a man behaving suspiciously outside the Iranian embassy in Paris on Friday.
ADVERTISEMENTPolice said on Friday they detained a man at the Iranian consulate in Paris after responding to a witness report of a suspicious man possibly carrying a grenade and explosives vest, but did they did not immediately confirm finding any weapons.
A Paris police official told The Associated Press that officers were verifying the man’s identity and trying to determine whether he had weapons. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to be publicly named under police policy.
Some of the police, special agents and firefighters that responded to the incident at the consulate were later seen leaving the scene after the arrest. A police cordon remained in place, but traffic was resuming in the area.
The official said the man was spotted around 11am local time on Friday and that police launched a special operation as soon as they were alerted. The man's motives were not immediately clear. No explosions have been reported, the official said.
Images on French television and social media showed police surrounding the building.
The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, and as Paris is gearing up to host the summer Olympics.