- France's foreign minister publicly attributed the recent cyberattacks on supermarket fridges to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and announced plans for EU-level sanctions.
- The October 11 cyberattack affected hundreds of establishments in France, overriding temperature controls on commercial fridges.
- Supermarket employees had to discard perished meat and melted ice cream, with some fridges even catching fire due to the attack.
- French officials initially suspected Iranian state-backed hackers were behind the attacks, which have been described as unprecedented.
- In November, a second wave of attacks hit more than 100 establishments across Europe, including French blood banks.
- The Paris prosecutor has opened a judicial investigation into Shahid Kaveh, a cyber unit of the IRGC, and its leadership.
- In August, refrigerators in at least half a dozen US military commissaries malfunctioned, which the Pentagon is treating as a suspected cyberattack.
- The Pentagon considers Iran a suspect in the August commissary hacks, although the investigation is ongoing.
France has attributed a series of disruptive cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, marking a significant escalation in cyber hostilities.8
The attacks, which began on October 11, targeted approximately 700 sites across France, leading to the destruction of perishable goods and financial losses estimated in the tens of millions of euros.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated, "This attack is unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression," emphasizing its implications for national security. The attacks also extended beyond France, impacting over 100 establishments across Europe, including blood banks that had to relocate stored blood due to compromised refrigeration.5
The Paris prosecutor has initiated an investigation into the IRGC's cyber unit, Shahid Kaveh, which is suspected of executing these attacks. Barrot confirmed that the French government has summoned the Iranian ambassador to express strong disapproval and plans to implement EU sanctions against those responsible.6
The cyberattacks have raised alarms within military circles as well, with the Pentagon investigating similar incidents affecting military commissaries. A Pentagon spokesperson noted, "We are aware of speculation regarding a potential cyber incident", indicating ongoing investigations into Iran's involvement.7
As the situation unfolds, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called for a robust response, stating, "Our response should be strong", highlighting the need for collective action against such cyber threats.
“The Paris prosecutor opened a judicial investigation into Shahid Kaveh, an IRGC cyber unit, and its two deputies, noting attackers disabled temperature alarms to initiate indefinite defrost cycles. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called the attack 'unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression,' and France summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest.”
