Iran has detained a Franco-German national on a Europe-to-Asia cycling trip who disappeared in the country, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a French newspaper on Thursday.

Axar.az informs, citing France 24, "He was arrested for committing an offence, and an official notification regarding his situation was sent to the French embassy," Araghchi told French daily newspaper Le Monde, without providing further details.

France's foreign ministry said it was in contact with Iranian authorities and the family of Lennart Monterlos, who went missing on June 16. The French ministry said it would give no further comment, as his safety was at stake.

The arrest is likely to worsen already strained ties between Paris and Tehran.

Iran has already been holding two other French citizens, Jacques Paris and Cécile Kohler, for more than three years in conditions France has said are akin to torture.

France has called their detention state-sponsored hostage taking and demanded they be released immediately.

France and a number of other countries have urged their nationals not to go to Iran because of the risk of detention.