Reuters —
French authorities have arrested two more suspects on suspicion of thwarting an attack on a Bank of America branch in Paris, the country’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office announced on Sunday.
“Two additional individuals were taken into police custody last night as part of an investigation that began on March 28, 2026 regarding crimes against Bank of America,” prosecutors said in a statement to Reuters. It added that the detention of the minor, the first suspect arrested on Saturday, had been extended.
Under French law, suspects in terrorism cases can be detained for up to 96 hours, with the possibility of further extensions under judicial supervision.
The Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office announced on Saturday that it had opened an investigation into attempted destruction by fire or other dangerous means, as well as the manufacture, possession and transportation of explosives and incendiary devices.
Asked about potential sponsors, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez pointed to suspicions of Iranian involvement, but said no conclusions had been reached.
“In this type of conflict, there are a number of Iranian forces that are likely to carry out such acts through their proxies… There are serious suspicions, but that is for the investigation to determine,” he said.
The Iranian embassy in France declined to comment on Nuñez’s remarks.
The investigation was assigned to the Paris police judicial unit and France’s domestic intelligence service.
Nunez said police intervened in the 8th arrondissement of Paris early Saturday morning after a patrol assigned to protect sensitive areas spotted two people planting improvised explosive devices outside a bank and trying to ignite them.
Officers arrived at the scene and arrested one suspect at the scene, while the second person fled, Nuñez told BFM TV late Saturday.
“One person was attempting to ignite an improvised explosive device made with a container believed to contain hydrocarbons and a crude ignition system, while another was filming,” Nuñez said.
He said the device was rudimentary but potentially deadly, adding that officers prevented it from being ignited.
Nuñez said known methods involving agents hired to carry out such attacks appear to be “de facto” criminals who are paid to act as intermediaries.
He said authorities had identified similarities with incidents in several European countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Norway, where improvised devices targeted sites linked to U.S. interests.
