France Weighs Response as Iran Rejects Supermarket Cyberattack Claims

France Weighs Response as Iran Rejects Supermarket Cyberattack Claims
France has accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of carrying out cyberattacks that caused refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets to fail, forcing retailers to discard large amounts of food. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Paris would pursue measures it considered “proportionate and necessary” to deter further attacks, including steps it might not disclose publicly.

The French account frames the episode as a national-security issue rather than a commercial disruption. Barrot said the government would summon Iran’s ambassador and seek European Union sanctions; an EU spokesperson said the bloc was preparing a “rapid and united” response using all available tools. French prosecutors have opened an investigation into Shahid Kaveh, described as a cyber unit linked to the Revolutionary Guard.

A separate report adds detail on the scale of the alleged sabotage: about 700 French outlets were affected, including stores run by major chains, after internet-connected controllers made by Danfoss and Dixell were targeted. Some refrigeration units reportedly reached 50°C, while attacks on three regional blood banks were stopped before donated blood supplies were affected. It cites Barrot calling the operation “the first act of large-scale sabotage on our national territory” and a grave threat to French interests and public security.

Iran, however, has “categorically” rejected what its Foreign Ministry called France’s “unfounded and unilateral accusations,” portraying them as part of a recurring policy of allegations against the Islamic Republic. The second report likewise notes that Paris has not publicly explained the evidence behind its attribution, underscoring the difficulty of identifying perpetrators in cyber incidents.

Both accounts point to a wider pattern: further incidents struck supermarkets in roughly 10 European countries in November. Yet Swedish authorities said it was not then possible to determine whether those attacks were connected to the French cases, leaving the scope and authorship of the campaign unresolved.

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