French authorities on Friday detained a man after receiving an alert from the Iranian consulate in Paris that someone had entered carrying an explosive, the capital's police authority said.
A security perimeter was reportedly set up around the consulate ahead of what was described as an "imminent police intervention" after witnesses say they saw a man enter the building carrying either a grenade or an explosive belt.
Authorities said Paris prefect Laurent Nuñez had mobilised the BRI, an elite unit, after the consulate made an intervention request to police.
🔴 Intervention en cours rue Fresnel à #Paris16.
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) April 19, 2024
Évitez le secteur. pic.twitter.com/5zSZJT5W1x
The area around the Iranian consulate, on Avenue d'Iéna in the 16th arrondissement, has been completely sealed off and a strong police presence remains.
Traffic on metro lines 9 and 6 serving Trocadero station, the closest to the Iranian consulate, has been interrupted.
This comes as tensions in the Middle East rise following an overnight counter-attack on Iran – allegedly launched by Israel – in retaliation for an Iranian drone attack on the Jewish state earlier this week.
(with newswires)
