Police prepare to storm Iranian embassy in Paris after man ‘in suicide vest’ threatens to blow himself up: Area is cordoned off and public evacuated
Police are at the scene of the Iranian consulate in Paris where a man threatened to blow himself up with a suicide vest, according to local reports.
The person is currently locked up in the building in the 16th arrondissement of the French capital, in a room with the ambassador, a report said.
He is believed to be wearing an explosive belt and is also believed to be equipped with an object resembling a grenade. Europe 1.
The area has been cordoned off and the public evacuated, with a police source saying an ‘intervention was imminent’ – suggesting officers were preparing to storm the building.
“A witness saw a man enter with a grenade or an explosive belt,” the source told French news agency AFP, adding that an elite police unit had been mobilized after the consulate requested an intervention.
According to local reports, police were seen at the site of the Iranian consulate in Paris, where a man threatened to blow himself up with a suicide vest.
“The man presented him at the consulate and then took off his jacket, showing off an alleged explosive vest,” said another security source at the scene.
“He said he had a grenade with him and then placed a national flag on the ground. He said he wanted to avenge his brother.”
For safety reasons, the police have ordered the city’s metro line 6 to be interrupted.
Officers from France’s special armed police unit BRI are on the scene.
Europe 1 reported that the embassy contacted police and asked for help, reporting that the man was inside the building.
It said he had locked himself in a room in the consulate “in the presence of the ambassador,” the newspaper reported.
The incident comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, with the Jewish state today launching attacks against the Islamic Republic.
This was in response to Iran launching more than 300 missiles towards Israel on Saturday, 99 percent of which were intercepted by Israel and its allies.
The Iranian attack this weekend was believed to be a response to a suspected April 1 Israeli airstrike that leveled Tehran’s consular building in Damascus and killed seven Revolutionary Guard members, including two generals.
The tit-for-tat attacks have heightened tensions in the volatile region, raising fears that the Middle East could descend into full-blown conflict.
It was not clear whether the Paris incident was related to the ongoing crisis.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow…