France blames Iran's IRGC for cyberattacks on hundreds of supermarkets

• The attacks spoiled food worth millions of euros, with temperatures in some stores reportedly reaching 50C.
• French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot threatened European-level sanctions and said Iran's ambassador had been summoned.
• French prosecutors opened an investigation into three figures linked to the IRGC's Shahid Kaveh cyber unit.

France on Monday accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of carrying out cyberattacks that disrupted refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets, spoiling food worth millions of euros.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called the attacks "unprecedented in both their scale and their level of aggression" and warned that those responsible would face European-level sanctions.

Paris has summoned Iran's ambassador to lodge a formal protest. Barrot described the incident as the first large-scale cyberattack targeting infrastructure for sabotage on French soil, calling it a serious threat to national interests and public security.

France will take "any other necessary and proportionate measures" to prevent further attacks, he added. Iran has yet to comment on the accusations.

Separately, Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation into the head of an IRGC-linked cyber unit, Shahid Kaveh, and two deputies. Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the unit was affiliated with the IRGC's electronic and cyber centre.

The attacks began on 11 October, when hackers gained access to software controlling supermarket refrigeration systems. The software, supplied by Danish engineering company Danfoss, allows retailers to manage cooling units remotely.

More than 100 Coopérative U stores and 180 Intermarché and Netto outlets were affected. Carrefour, Monoprix and E.Leclerc were also targeted. In some stores, refrigerator temperatures reportedly reached 50C overnight, ruining fresh and frozen food.

A second wave last week hit more than 100 supermarkets across Europe, including stores in Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as smaller numbers in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland. Whether the incidents were connected remains unclear.

Similar disruptions were reported at several US military bases in August, where refrigeration failures spoiled food. The incidents are being investigated as possible deliberate cyberattacks, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Two Russian-aligned hacking groups claimed responsibility for the supermarket attacks on Wednesday, but their claims were met with skepticism. Cybersecurity experts had also considered Iran among the possible perpetrators.

French authorities have not disclosed the evidence behind their accusation. Identifying the source of cyberattacks is difficult because hackers can conceal their identities and locations.

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