PARIS (AP) — A man wearing a fake explosive vest and making threats was detained Friday outside the Iranian Consulate in Paris after police locked down the area, authorities said. His motive was unclear.
The incident came at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, and as Paris is on high security alert as it gears up to host the Summer Olympics in three months.
The suspect had been convicted for setting fire to the Iranian Embassy gates last year in what he called a protest against the Iranian government, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. The consulate and embassy are part of the same compound, in the ritzy 16th arrondissement of Paris and near the Seine River.
Iranian authorities did not comment publicly on what happened.
The man was spotted around 11 a.m. outside the consulate, and a witness told police he had a grenade and an explosives vest, according to a Paris police official. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to be publicly named under police policy.
The NBA playoffs are finally here. And as LeBron James says, 'it's a sprint now'
Blackpool rocks! Inside the coastal town brimming with old
Your state pension might NOT increase by the full 8.5% this month
Would you like a cicada salad? The monstrous little noisemakers descend on a New Orleans menu
Was the Budget too little, too late
Globetrotting couple share stunning photos from visits to 75 countries
After Berlin, Zelensky signs French security pact amid Navalny shock
Gay 30 Rock actor Maulik Pancholy is canceled from anti
World's biggest bridges revealed after collapse of colossal Baltimore landmark