Iran rejects French accusations over October cyberattack on supermarket fridges

Paris blames a Revolutionary Guards unit

France accused Iran on Monday, 9 November, of being behind cyberattacks that disrupted refrigeration in hundreds of supermarkets in October. Paris attributes the operation to Shahid Kaveh, a cyber unit that French intelligence services link to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and, more specifically, to its Electronic and Cyberspace Center (CGRI-CEC). The French government has described the unit as an offensive cyber operation working within the Guards' cyberwarfare apparatus. The accusation has placed the group at the centre of a serious diplomatic dispute between Paris and Tehran.

The attack on cooling systems

French authorities say hackers breached the control systems of refrigerators and freezers and raised temperatures remotely, destroying large quantities of food. The main wave hit the cooling systems of about 700 commercial sites in France on the night of 11 to 12 October, although one account dates the attack to the night of 12 to 13 October. At least 15 cases of fire outbreaks were recorded in connection with the attack. A second wave on the night of 1 to 2 November affected hundreds of refrigerators, and its origin remains unclear. A smaller attack the following night used equipment from another company, Dixell, and it is not clear whether the same hackers were responsible.

Arrest warrants and the French response

The Paris prosecutor's office has requested international arrest warrants for the head of the Shahid Kaveh unit and for two deputy heads. Foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Tuesday that France does not rule out any response, including measures it will not disclose publicly. He said these measures would be proportionate and aimed at preventing new threats and punishing the perpetrators. Barrot recalled that Iran's ambassador had been summoned to the French foreign ministry and that European sanctions had been adopted. He also said French cyberdefence doctrine opens a range of options for the authorities, even when their exact content is not revealed.

Tehran's rejection and open questions

Iran's foreign ministry on Tuesday, 10 November, rejected the French accusations as baseless and unilateral and condemned what it called a worn-out practice of blaming the Islamic Republic. The reply came hours after Barrot's warning. Asked whether Iran was behind other cyberattacks, including those on a cooling services provider for the French blood service (Établissement français du sang), the bank Crédit Mutuel Arkéa and the Directorate of Public Finances, Barrot declined to comment, citing ongoing investigations. Tehran has denied any involvement in the supermarket attacks, while the French investigation remains open.