Police have arrested a man who falsely claimed that he was wearing an explosives belt while inside the Iranian consulate on Friday morning.

Early reports suggested a man was holed up inside the Iranian consulate in Paris and threatening to blow himself up.

A police source had told Reuters the man was seen at about 11am entering the consulate, which is located in the Iranian embassy building, carrying what appeared to be a grenade and explosive vest.

French police promptly cordoned off the area, which is just across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.

According to other witnesses, the man put flags on the floor of the consulate and said he wanted to avenge his brother’s death.

But at around 2.45 pm, police and members of the national search and intervention brigade arrested the man without incident.

On being searched he was found not to be carrying any explosives, a police source said.

It was unclear whether the incident had any link to current tensions between Iran and Israel.

Service was briefly interrupted on a nearby metro line for security reasons, the RATP metro company said.