French officials blame Iran for refrigerator hacks, vow retaliation

Paris — French officials have accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of orchestrating a series of cyberattacks that crippled commercial refrigerators and freezers in supermarkets across France last month, warning of repercussions for Iran. These attacks, which struck hundreds of French supermarkets in early October, were among the most significant disruptions seen during the ongoing Iran conflict that began in February.

The conflict has seen various instances of alleged digital disruption, including cyberattacks on the Los Angeles transit system in March, US water treatment plants in July, and ships destined for the United States in August.

Iran's UN mission did not respond to inquiries for comment. Iran habitually denies involvement in malicious cyber activities. The French revelation came shortly after Reuters reported that investigators privately suspected Iran of being responsible for the attacks. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that Iran's ambassador had been summoned to France's foreign ministry. Barrot also issued a warning of additional EU sanctions against Iran.