Paris France –

French authorities on Friday detained a man suspected of entering Iran’s consulate in Paris and falsely claiming to be carrying an explosive vest, police and prosecutors said.

After the incident, the man surrendered to police, but no explosives or weapons were found on the man or in the house.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said the man, who was born in Iran in 1963, was convicted of setting a tire on fire in front of the Iranian embassy in Paris in 2023.

Police arrested the unnamed suspect after he appeared to “threate violence” inside the consulate and left the consulate on his own.

He was wearing a vest with three fake grenades in its large pockets, according to a police source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Police earlier told AFP the consulate called law enforcement after a witness saw “a man entering with a grenade or explosive belt.”

According to an AFP reporter, the blocks surrounding the consulate in the capital’s 16th district have been cordoned off and there is a heavy police presence.

Paris transport company RATP said traffic was temporarily suspended on two metro lines passing through stations near the consulate.

The Iranian embassy and consulate share the same building but have different entrances on different streets.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, with Israel launching apparent attacks overnight into central Iran.

However, there are no suggestions for any links.

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that the same man will appear in court on Monday over the September 2023 fire at the diplomatic mission.

A lower court sentenced him to eight months’ probation and banned him from entering the area surrounding the consulate and from carrying weapons for two years.

But he is appealing the verdict.

At the time, the man claimed the action was against Iran’s religious authorities because they were dealing with “women. Life. Freedom.” Nationwide protests.

Reports say the man left Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and expressed sympathy for the former imperial regime.

On March 22, an attack occurred at a Moscow concert venue. The “Islamic State” organization claimed responsibility for the attack. Subsequently, France raised its national security alert to the highest level.

The incident at the Iranian consulate prompted the U.S. Embassy in Paris to issue a security alert to its citizens.