The French government summoned Iran’s ambassador on Monday and announced plans to coordinate European Union sanctions against Tehran following a formal attribution of cyberattacks targeting the nation’s retail cooling systems. Foreign Minister Jean-Noïel Barrot stated that intelligence identified the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as the actor behind the operation, which he described as an unprecedented act of sabotage on French national territory.
The attacks took place on Oct 11 and 12, disrupting refrigeration and freezer units at approximately 700 supermarkets, including chains such as Intermarché and Netto. By manipulating temperature controllers to reach as high as 50°C, the hackers spoiled tens of millions of euros in food and caused approximately 20 fires. Paris has linked the breach to the Shahid Kaveh offensive cyber unit, for whose head and two deputies French prosecutors have sought international arrest warrants. The campaign is part of a broader series of refrigeration breaches hitting blood banks, hydroelectric plants, and supermarkets across Europe and the U.S.
