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France has formally attributed a sweeping cyberattack on supermarket refrigeration systems to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), marking what officials describe as an unprecedented assault on the nation’s critical infrastructure. According to AFP reporting, the October 11-12 attacks targeted approximately 700 French supermarket locations, raising temperatures in refrigerators and forcing retailers to discard entire inventories of perishable goods.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot characterized the incident as extraordinary in both scale and aggression, calling it the first large-scale cyberattack aimed at sabotage on French territory. He announced that France would pursue sanctions at the European level against those responsible and summoned Iran’s ambassador to lodge a formal protest.
Paris prosecutors have opened a judicial investigation into the Shahid Kaveh cyber unit, an offensive operations group affiliated with the IRGC’s Electronic and Cyber Centre, along with its leadership. The investigation also remains open for any additional individuals who may be identified in connection with the attacks.
The incident extends beyond France’s borders. Similar cyberattacks targeting freezer systems were reported on November 2 across at least nine other European nations, suggesting a coordinated or widespread campaign. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas indicated that the European response should be forceful, though specific measures remain under consideration.
French officials have signaled their intent to pursue additional measures—both public and private—to respond to the incident and deter future attacks. The attribution to Iran’s state-backed cyber unit represents a significant escalation in cross-border digital conflict targeting civilian infrastructure.
The IRGC, Iran’s ideological military force, has expanded its operational capacity into cyberwarfare and offensive cyber operations in recent years. The Shahid Kaveh unit is affiliated with the IRGC’s Electronic and Cyber Centre (IRGC-CEC), which coordinates the organization’s digital attack capabilities.
Sources and attribution
- Jamaica Observer
- France says Iran's Guards behind cyberattacks on fridges
- Iran behind France grocery store refrigerator and freezer hacks, prosecutor says
- France accuses Iran of supermarket fridge cyberattack
- France accuses Iran of supermarket fridge hacking
- France accuses Iran's Guards of cyberattacks on supermarket fridges
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