The French Foreign Ministry has reiterated warnings over travelling to Iran after an 18-year-old tourist on a cycling trip in the country went missing, describing his disappearance as "worrying".
Frenchman Lennart Monterlos, who was on a cycling trip in Iran, has not been seen since 16 July.
"It's a worrying disappearance and we are in contact with the family," Laurent Saint-Martin, who is also trade minister, told RTL radio on Monday.
"It is worrying because Iran has a deliberate policy of taking Western hostages," he added.
"I can assure you that consular protection is the right of every French citizen (...) in a foreign country. But (...) if we often strongly advise against travelling to certain countries, it is precisely so as not to find ourselves at risk."
Monterlos went missing a few days after Israeli planes struck targets in Iran.
Saint-Martin did not say specifically that the Iranian authorities were holding Monterlos, who also has German nationality.
The 18-year-old had given details of his trip on a post on a crowdfunding platform, writing that he was in his final year of high school in eastern France and wanted to cycle across Europe and Asia.
In a post on Instagram on 12 June he was ironic about Iran: "You have to remember it's not the Cote d'Azur, and take precautions of course, but it's been a great experience up until now."
The Europeans still held in Iran
Talks over French hostages in Iran continue
Iran is believed to hold around 20 European nationals on charges of spying for Israel, many of whose cases have never been publicised.
Two French nationals Cecile Kohler, 40, and Jacques Paris, her 72-year-old partner, have been held in Iran since May 2022 on charges of espionage that their families deny.
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Sunday to demand the release of Kohler and Paris, according to the ministry, which did not say if the French minister raised the case of Monterlos.
Iran earlier this week charged Kohler and Paris with spying for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, as well as "corruption of Earth" and "plotting to overthrow the regime", diplomatic and family sources said on Wednesday.
French couple face death penalty in Iran on spying and conspiracy charges
Tehran has not confirmed the new charges, all three of which carry the death penalty. France says their "arbitrary" arrest and the conditions of their detention are "tantamount to torture".
(with AFP)
