Gambiaj.com – (PARIS, FRANCE) – France has accused Iran of orchestrating an unprecedented cyberattack targeting supermarket refrigeration systems across the country, which resulted in the destruction of fresh and frozen food at around 700 retail outlets, and has vowed to push for retaliatory sanctions against Tehran at the European level.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the October attack as unprecedented in both scale and aggressiveness, calling it the first large-scale cyber operation carried out for sabotage purposes on French territory.
“This was an attack of unprecedented scale and unprecedented aggressiveness,” Barrot told reporters on Monday, adding that the incident represented a serious threat to French national interests and public security.
He said France had summoned Iran’s ambassador to formally convey its concerns and intended to pursue sanctions against Tehran through European institutions.
The French government has yet to receive an immediate response from Iranian authorities to the allegations.
Hackers Manipulated Supermarket Refrigeration Systems
According to reports by French broadcaster BFMTV, the hackers remotely accessed supermarket refrigerators and freezers during the October attack and manipulated their temperature settings by activating defrost cycles.
The operation caused large quantities of fresh and frozen food to spoil. Some refrigeration units reportedly became so overheated that they caught fire, adding to the damage suffered by affected retailers.
The Paris prosecutor’s office, which is handling the investigation, formally accused Iran of involvement on Monday. Investigators cited the use of the Persian language, known as Farsi, and internet protocol addresses linked to devices located in Iran as evidence supporting their suspicions.
The prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the head of Shahid Kaveh, a cyber unit affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with two of his deputies and other individuals suspected of involvement.
Similar Attacks Reported Across Europe
The French allegations come amid reports of similar cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems in Sweden, Belgium and Ireland earlier this month.
It remains unclear whether those incidents are connected to the October attack in France. No individual or group has publicly claimed responsibility for the more recent attacks in the three European countries.
The developments have heightened concerns about the vulnerability of critical commercial infrastructure to cyber operations, particularly attacks designed to cause physical and economic damage rather than steal information.
Rising Concerns Over Iranian Cyber Threats
The accusations also come against the backdrop of growing international concerns about Iran’s cyber capabilities.
Following US and Israeli strikes against Iran in late February, the US intelligence community issued several confidential warnings to American companies and government agencies, urging them to strengthen their vigilance against potential Iranian cyberattacks.
The warnings, according to national security sources and internal memoranda reviewed by CNN, reflected concerns that Tehran could retaliate against Western interests through cyber operations.
France’s decision to seek European sanctions now raises the possibility of a broader diplomatic confrontation with Iran over alleged cyber sabotage, although the extent of any connection between the attacks across Europe remains under investigation.
Leave a Reply