France arrests man over fire at Iran Paris consulate: source

French authorities have arrested a man over a fire that broke out at the weekend at Iran's consulate in Paris, a source close to the case said Tuesday.

The fire was discovered by a police patrol early Saturday morning outside the consulate and damaged its front entrance.

The suspect, a man born in 1963 in Iran, was arrested on Sunday and is to appear before a judge for a fast-track trial later on Tuesday, said the source, asking not to be named.

The spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, Nasser Kanani, denounced what he called an "attack on the consulate, while French foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre also said Paris "vehemently" condemned the act.