France accuses Iran of hacking supermarket fridges across Europe

France has accused Iran of carrying out cyber-attacks that disrupted refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets, causing fresh and frozen food worth millions of euros to spoil.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot made the allegation at a news conference, blaming Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, for the attack.

He described the incident as “unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression. “

He said France would “implement sanctions at the European level against all those responsible for this attack.”

The attack, which happened last month, involved hackers taking control of software used to regulate the temperatures of supermarket refrigerators and freezers across France.

More than 100 Coopérative U supermarkets were affected, alongside 180 outlets operated by Intermarché and its Netto brand.

Reports indicated that temperatures in some stores rose to 50C overnight, damaging large quantities of food stored in the affected units.

The incident happened on October 11, when hackers reportedly gained access to the systems controlling refrigeration equipment in the supermarkets.

Meanwhile, dozens of supermarkets in seven other European countries were hit by a similar cyber-attack last week. However, it remains unclear whether the incidents were connected.

Iran has not yet responded to the French government’s allegations.

Separately, the Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, announced on Monday that an investigation had been launched into the head of an Iranian-linked cyber unit and two of his deputies.

Beccuau identified the group as Shahid Kaveh, which she said was affiliated with the electronic and cyber centre of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.