A French man has been missing in Iran since mid-June, prompting concerns from Paris about Tehran's "deliberate policy of taking Western hostages," France's minister for residents abroad said on July 7.

Laurent Saint-Martin, who also serves as trade minister, told RTL radio the disappearance was "worrying" and that France was in contact with the missing person's family. He did not confirm whether Iranian authorities were holding the man, who also holds German nationality.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have detained dozens of foreign and dual nationals in recent years, often on espionage-related charges. Rights groups and Western countries accuse Tehran of using foreign detainees as bargaining chips, which Iran denies.

Le Figaro identified the missing person as Lennart Monterlos, 18, who holds dual French-German nationality. According to the newspaper, Monterlos had announced plans in June 2024 for "a one-year cycling trip across Eurasia," describing it as a "dream" he hoped to fulfil before starting university.

His planned route spanned "400 days, 35,000km" across "35 countries." Monterlos's last public location update, posted on travel app Polarsteps, showed him in Shiraz, Iran, on June 3, with a planned stop in Kashan. The account has not been updated since.

The teenager disappeared days after Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian facilities. Saint-Martin stopped short of directly accusing Iran of detaining the individual.

Iran has separately charged two French nationals, Jacques Paris and Cecile Kohler, with spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence service. The pair have been held for more than three years in what France describes as state-sponsored hostage taking.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi on July 6 and demanded the "immediate and unconditional" release of Paris and Kohler. Barrot's statement made no mention of the missing teenager.

Kohler's sister said the two detained French citizens had been moved from Evin prison in Tehran following Israeli bombing of the facility, but authorities had not disclosed their new location. The pair were recently notified of charges punishable by death, including espionage for Israel.

France filed a case at the International Court of Justice in May against Iran for violating consular protection rights, seeking to pressure Tehran over the detention of its two citizens.

Iran's official IRNA news agency reported the telephone conversation between Barrot and Araqchi, during which they discussed consular affairs and regional developments. The report did not specify whether the diplomats discussed the cases of Monterlos, Kohler or Paris.