France threatens actions against Iran over supermarket cyberattacks

France has accused Iran of orchestrating a series of cyberattacks that crippled over 700 supermarkets across the country in October, causing food losses worth millions of euros and igniting at least 15 fires.

The French government vowed to retaliate using all available means, including measures within the European Union and collaborations with partners worldwide. This comes after the National Cybersecurity Agency, the Directorate General for External Security, and other French agencies confirmed the attacks were carried out by Iran's CyberAv3ngers, a wing of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The attacks targeted refrigeration controllers at major supermarket chains like Casino, Leclerc, Coopérative U, Metro, Carrefour, and Intermarché, leading to widespread food spoilage and fire outbreaks. French officials attributed the cyberattacks to the Shahid Kaveh unit, a known hacktivist group associated with the IRGC.

The French government emphasized that Iran has a history of destabilizing acts against France, including attacks on Charlie Hebdo magazine and preparations for the Paris Olympic Games. They also noted the use of specific industrial control equipment from Schneider Electric, Siemens, and Rockwell by the Shahid Kaveh unit since at least April 2026.

France called for additional EU sanctions against Iranian entities and individuals involved in the cyberattacks and expressed its strong condemnation to the Iranian ambassador, while also reserving the right to take further measures deemed necessary and proportionate.