French police have arrested a man who threatened to blow himself up at the Iranian consulate in Paris, police said on Friday.

A police source told Reuters the man was spotted entering the consulate at around 11am (0900 GMT) and appeared to be carrying grenades and an explosive vest.

Police sources said the man left the consulate and was being searched by a SWAT team and was not actually carrying explosives.

Reuters reporters saw that French police blocked the Iranian consulate earlier.