France accuses Iran of being behind an “unprecedented” cyber attack targeting major stores

France held Iran responsible for a cyber attack that occurred last month that targeted refrigerators in major stores, which led to the damage of products in about 700 stores, and pledged to impose sanctions on Tehran in response. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday that the attack was “on an unprecedented scale and characterized by unprecedented aggression,” describing it as the first large-scale cyberattack carried out with the aim of sabotage on French soil.

Barrow said that the attack “represents a grave attack on the interests of the country and the security of the French people,” adding that France has summoned its Iranian ambassador and intends to impose retaliatory sanctions “at the European level.” There was no immediate comment from Tehran on the French accusations.

According to BFMTV, which has a partnership with Ofoq News, the cyberattack occurred in October, when hackers were able to remotely connect to refrigerators and freezers in major stores and raise their temperatures by activating defrost cycles. This led to the destruction of large quantities of fresh and frozen products, and also caused some refrigeration equipment to catch fire.

The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office took over the case and accused Iran of being behind the attack, based on "the use of the Persian language and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses indicating devices located in Iran." The Public Prosecutor's Office announced that it had opened an investigation targeting the head of "Shahid Kawa" - an electronic unit affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard - and his two deputies, in addition to any other individuals who may be responsible for the attack.

It is noteworthy that a similar cyber attack targeted major stores in Sweden, Belgium, and Ireland earlier this month, although it is not yet clear whether these incidents are related to the attack that occurred in France. No party has claimed responsibility for the cyber attacks that occurred this month.