A diplomatic dispute has erupted between France and Iran after hundreds of French supermarkets were targeted in a cyberattack affecting their refrigeration systems.
Tehran has rejected allegations of involvement by its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), calling the accusations baseless.
The incident began overnight on October 11-12, when cyberattacks reportedly disrupted refrigerator and freezer units, causing food products to spoil and fires to break out in some locations.
France summoned Iran’s ambassador on Tuesday to seek explanations and indicated that further action could follow. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Paris was keeping all possible responses open and would take necessary steps to prevent similar incidents.
France is also pushing for sanctions at the European Union level. The EU has pledged a coordinated response and said it could use its cyber diplomacy measures, including sanctions, against those responsible.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly denied the allegations and accused France of blaming foreign actors for its own administrative failures.
Tehran also warned that it would take appropriate steps to protect its national interests and security if faced with unlawful foreign actions.
Similar refrigeration-related incidents have been reported elsewhere in Europe, including an unsuccessful attempt targeting cooling systems at French blood banks. However, links between these incidents remain unconfirmed.
