France seeks EU action after Iran-linked supermarket cyberattack
French authorities accuse the IRGC of disrupting refrigeration systems in October, prompting diplomatic sanctions and international arrest warrants.
By Vanessa Lopez ·
Paris is preparing a coordinated European response to Iran following a cyberattack that disrupted supermarket operations across France. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on Tuesday that the government is leaving no option off the table to address the incident. He made these remarks during a G7 foreign ministers' meeting held in the French capital.
The French government formally accused Tehran of orchestrating the sabotage. Barrot identified the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, as the specific entity responsible. He described the event as the first large-scale cyber sabotage of its kind on French territory. The attack targeted hundreds of supermarket refrigerators, forcing retailers to discard large quantities of perishable food items due to rising internal temperatures.
Diplomatic and legal measures are moving in parallel. Barrot confirmed that the Iranian ambassador to France will be summoned for discussions. The government is also seeking to implement sanctions at the European level. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced on Monday that an investigation has been opened into Shahid Kaveh, a cyber division within the IRGC. The prosecutor's office has requested international arrest warrants for two officials associated with this unit.
The cyberattacks occurred on October 11 and 12. The disruption caused logistical challenges for retailers and resulted in substantial waste of inventory. Barrot stated that the primary objective of the measures is to deter potential future attacks. He noted that some actions may remain undisclosed to the public but that all steps will be deemed proportionate and necessary.
The incident is part of a wider pattern across the continent. Similar disruptions were reported in other parts of Europe. On November 2, stores in at least nine other European countries experienced a suspected cyberattack on their freezer systems. These incidents mirrored the issues seen in France, suggesting a coordinated approach to the cyber threat.
