France accuses Iran of cyberattack on supermarkets

France has accused Iran of carrying out a cyberattack that targeted refrigeration systems in supermarkets across the country, causing fires and massive food spoilage.

French foreign minister,Jean-Noël Barrot  on Monday, November 9, said the attack was carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran.

“I can confirm that this attack was carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said

He described the incident as unprecedented in scale and aggression, and the first large-scale cyberattack carried out for sabotage purposes on French soil.

The attacks occurred on October 11 and 12, when hackers gained remote access to refrigeration systems and cranked temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius overnight.

More than 700 supermarkets were hit, including E-Leclerc, Intermarche, Carrefour, Monoprix and Cooperative U. At least 15 fires broke out, with millions of euros worth of food destroyed.

Investigators linked the attack to Shahid Kaveh, an offensive cyber unit affiliated with the IRGC. The Paris prosecutor’s office said it has requested international arrest warrants for the leader of the unit and his two deputies.

French authorities said the attackers used Farsi and IP addresses linked to devices located in Iran, and matched the pattern to previous Shahid Kaveh operations.

Barrot said Iran’s ambassador had been summoned and that France would push for sanctions against Iran at a European level.

Iran has not yet responded to the allegations.

A similar wave of fridge hacks was reported earlier this month in Sweden, Belgium, Ireland and other European countries, though it remains unclear if they are linked to the French incident.