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French counterterrorism prosecutors launch an investigation after a man was arrested for allegedly attempting to ignite an explosive device outside a Bank of America building, where authorities said the suspect tried to set fire to a container containing an unidentified liquid and a firecracker, while a second individual reportedly fled the scene, in Paris, France on March 28, 2026. (Photo by Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Thwarted bomb attack in Paris believed to be linked to pro-Iran group

Author: Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2026, 8:54am

French intelligence services believe an attempt to plant a bomb outside the Bank of America in Paris is linked to a pro-Iran group, Europe correspondent Catherine Field says.

Police in Paris foiled the bombing and arrested the suspect – a 17-year-old immigrant who said he had been recruited via Snapchat for €600 (NZ$1202).

Field told Mike Hosking the attempt bore the hallmarks of previous Iran-linked attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands as well as an arson attack on four Jewish–run ambulances in London.

“That is what's got the intelligence services and the anti-terrorism police here particularly concerned,” she said.

“It's possibly a group they've not heard about before and they're using social media in a way that they've seen before, that's very difficult to monitor.”

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