A man was detained by French police after he threatened to detonate himself inside Iran’s consulate in Paris, according to a police source on Friday.
The incident led to the deployment of police forces around the building, located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, with authorities urging the public to steer clear of the area.
The suspect entered the consulate around 11 am local time (0900 GMT), allegedly armed with what looked like a grenade and an explosive vest.
However, upon exiting the building and being searched by police, he was found not to carry any explosives.
The reasons behind the man’s actions remain uncertain. Reports from Le Parisien suggest the individual may have been protesting the death of his brother, allegedly dragging flags across the floor of the consulate and declaring his intent for revenge.
For safety measures, a nearby metro service was temporarily halted, as stated by the RATP metro company.
The event’s connection to the rising tensions between Iran and Israel is still undetermined, especially following reported explosions in Isfahan, Iran, earlier the same day, attributed to an Israeli offensive.
Nonetheless, Tehran downplayed the significance of the attacks and signalled no intention of retaliatory actions, likely aiming to prevent a broader regional conflict.
Israeli missiles have reportedly struck a location in Iran, according to a U.S. official quoted by ABC News. The impact site is close to Isfahan, where a loud explosion was heard near the airport.
The exact cause of the explosion remains unclear. The Isfahan region is home to several of Iran’s nuclear sites, including the Natanz facility, which is central to Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
In response to what is believed to be an Israeli strike on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s embassy complex in Syria earlier this week, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Most of these were intercepted before reaching Israeli territory, as reported by CNN.
