PARIS, April 2 – Major financial institutions Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have authorized their Paris employees to work from home this Thursday after French authorities prevented a terrorist bombing targeting Bank of America’s Paris location last Saturday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
French law enforcement has detained four individuals suspected of orchestrating the attack plot, which authorities believe may have connections to Iran.
Neither the Paris police department nor the prosecutor’s office provided immediate responses when contacted for additional information.
Citigroup described their remote work policy as a safety precaution in a statement provided to Reuters via email. The bank’s Frankfurt location is also operating under similar remote work arrangements.
French counterterrorism officials announced Wednesday evening that the four detained suspects – three minors between ages 16 and 17, plus one adult – now face formal charges related to creating, moving, and possessing explosive materials, as well as attempting property destruction while operating within a terrorist organization.
According to the counterterrorism prosecutor’s office, the explosive device consisted of a five-liter gasoline container attached to a substantial pyrotechnic charge containing 650 grams of active explosive material. Officials described it as the most potent device of its type ever discovered in France, capable of creating “a powerful fireball several meters in diameter.”
Investigation findings reveal the adult suspect hired the three teenagers, compensating them between 500 and 1,000 euros ($580-$1,160) to position and record video of the device. All four suspects have rejected claims of terrorist motivations.
French intelligence agencies suspect connections to HAYI, a pro-Iranian organization that released a video on March 23 specifically targeting Bank of America’s Paris headquarters, although prosecutors note this connection remains under investigation and has not been definitively confirmed.
