ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - France has accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of carrying out cyberattacks on approximately 700 commercial sites, mostly supermarkets, warning of European sanctions against Tehran over what it described as the first large-scale cyber sabotage campaign on French territory.
“I can confirm that responsibility for this attack lies with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot told journalists on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris.
“On October 11 and 12, nearly 700 commercial sites were affected by a cyberattack campaign of unprecedented scale and aggressiveness,” Barrot said, accusing the IRGC of being behind the attack.
Modern supermarkets use internet-connected refrigeration systems to remotely control temperatures. Hackers can exploit these systems to disrupt cooling, prolong defrost cycles and disable temperature alarms, causing food to spoil.
Barrot also said that they have summoned Iran’s ambassador to Paris, warning that his country will “impose sanctions on those responsible and take all measures we deem necessary and proportionate to respond to these attacks and deter anyone who might consider carrying out similar attacks.”
Meanwhile, France’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday that investigations had concluded that Iran was behind the cyberattacks, identifying the perpetrators as the Shahid Kaveh cyber-offensive unit, which it said is affiliated with the IRGC.
"This actor constitutes a persistent threat to our critical infrastructure," the ministry added.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said a judicial investigation had been opened into the unit’s commander and two deputies, according to the Paris-based Agency France Press (AFP). Investigators said the attackers remotely manipulated refrigeration controllers to trigger prolonged defrost cycles while disabling temperature-warning systems.
At least 15 fires broke out as hackers raised refrigeration temperatures. Supermarket employees discarded spoiled meat and melted ice cream.
Germany condemned the attacks on Tuesday, expressing solidarity with France and warning Tehran against further destabilizing activities.
“We strongly condemn the cyberattacks by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, as attributed by France,” the German Foreign Ministry said. Such attacks were “unacceptable,” the ministry added.
Speaking after Barrot, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters that the EU's "response should be strong".
Iran has not publicly commented on the accusations.
The accusations come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Western governments following the US-Israeli war against Iran, which began on February 28. Although Washington has recently signaled momentum towards ending the conflict, President Donald Trump has maintained that the United States remains prepared to resume military action if necessary.
