France has accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of carrying out a cyberattack last month that disrupted refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarket stores. The incident raised temperatures in refrigerators and freezers, putting fresh and frozen food worth an estimated millions of euros at risk. Paris says it will push for EU sanctions against those responsible; Iran has not responded to the allegation.
Attack affected refrigeration at hundreds of stores
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said at a press conference that the IRGC carried out the attack, describing its scale and aggressiveness as unprecedented. France will seek sanctions against those responsible at the European level, he said.
The attack took place on October 11. Hackers gained access to software controlling refrigeration temperatures at several French supermarket chains. More than 100 stores operated by Coopérative U were affected, along with 180 Intermarché and Netto locations. In some stores, freezer temperatures reportedly reached 50°C overnight, putting food at risk of spoiling.
Refrigeration is a critical part of the supermarket supply chain. Disruptions to temperature controls can damage inventory and interfere with store operations. Losses are estimated at several million euros, though no precise figure has been released.
Similar incidents reported elsewhere in Europe
Dozens of supermarkets in seven other European countries reported cyberattacks on refrigeration equipment last week. It remains unclear whether those incidents are connected to the attack in France.
France has attributed the operation to the IRGC, but Iran has not commented. Authorities have not publicly explained how the attackers accessed the temperature-control software or disclosed the technical evidence behind the attribution.
Paris prosecutors investigate IRGC cyber unit leadership
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Monday that investigators had opened an inquiry into the head of an IRGC-linked offensive cyber unit and two deputies. She identified the unit as “Shahid Kaveh” and said it falls under the IRGC’s Electronic and Cyber Center.
The inquiry comes as France accuses the IRGC of targeting supermarket refrigeration, but no public information has established a specific link between the people under investigation and the attack. France says it will pursue EU sanctions; whether the incidents reported in other European countries are connected remains unresolved.