France has formally blamed Iran for a cyberattack in October that took control of refrigeration systems in French supermarkets and left tonnes of food unusable. According to Supermercado Al Día, the Paris prosecutor's office opened a judicial investigation into the leader of Shahid Kaveh, a group linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Iran's foreign ministry rejected the accusations as unfounded.
The charges. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the cybercrime section is investigating an attack on an automated data processing system and damage caused by means dangerous to people, both by an organised group, aggravated because they were allegedly committed to serve a foreign power, Supermercado Al Día reports. Sources differ on the warrants: La Nota San Juan says international arrest warrants were requested for two leaders of the unit, while El Imparcial says they cover the unit's head and two collaborators.
How bad it was. La Nota San Juan says the attacks happened on 11 and 12 October and hit hundreds of supermarkets. El Imparcial, citing Associated Press, puts the figure at about 700 stores, with some units reaching close to 50 degrees Celsius. It adds that a French report cited by international media documented at least 15 fires linked to the sabotage, and that the Intermarché chain reported losses of tens of millions of euros in a single day.
The evidence. According to El Imparcial, Beccuau pointed to traces of Farsi in the activity, IP addresses tied to terminals in Iran and a method matching other Shahid Kaveh operations. Iran's foreign ministry said the claims aim to divert attention from French policy and warned Tehran would take measures to protect its interests.
We will take all necessary measures, including some we will not comment on publicly, if we consider them proportionate and necessary to deter new attacks and punish those responsible for this unacceptable aggression. — French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, as reported by La Nota San Juan
Diplomatic fallout. France summoned Iran's ambassador, and Barrot said Paris will push for EU sanctions, La Nota San Juan reports. European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said the bloc is preparing a rapid and united response. In early November, supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg and Sweden reported abnormal fridge temperatures, El Imparcial says, though responsibility for those incidents is not confirmed. Sweden's civil defence minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin warned of a risk of more cyber incidents in the coming months.
Why it matters
Connected equipment is a target. The case shows that internet-connected temperature controls can turn a cyberattack into physical damage, spoiled stock and safety risks. Supermercado Al Día notes chains in other markets are already reviewing the security of their cold chain.
- Inventory every remotely accessible refrigeration or building controller.
- Remove direct internet exposure and change default credentials.
- Set independent temperature alarms that do not rely on the same system.
- Prepare a manual fallback and a stock-disposal plan for incidents.
Sources: Supermercado Al Día, Perú Retail, La Nota San Juan, El Imparcial
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