'Unable to manage fridges': Iran mocks France over supermarket cyberattack

A diplomatic row has erupted between France and Iran after Paris accused an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cyber unit of carrying out attacks that disrupted refrigeration systems across hundreds of supermarkets in France. Tehran has rejected the allegations, with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi mocking the French government for being "unable to manage fridges". French authorities said a joint investigation by intelligence and cybersecurity agencies had identified Shahid Kaveh, an offensive cyber unit affiliated with the IRGC's Electronic Warfare and Cyber Defence Organization, as responsible for the attacks. The operation targeted temperature controls in commercial refrigeration systems on the night of October 11-12, affecting around 700 establishments across France. According to French authorities, the hackers remotely altered the temperature settings of refrigeration units, resulting in widespread food spoilage worth tens of millions of euros. At least 15 fires were also reported after refrigeration units were affected. Besides supermarkets, the attacks targeted small butcher shops, a slaughterhouse and food-processing factories. In a statement, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs described the operation as an act of "unprecedented scale and aggressiveness" and said it was the first offensive cyber campaign aimed purely at causing physical damage on French soil. "Following investigations, France is now in a position to attribute these destructive actions to Iran: they were carried out by SHAHID KAVEH, an offensive cyber unit affiliated with the Electronic Warfare and Cyber Defence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," the ministry said. The French ministry also described the group as a "persistent threat to our critical infrastructure", arguing that the operation violated international law and United Nations norms governing responsible state conduct in cyberspace. The investigation also named three alleged associates of the cyber unit: Hamid Reza Lashgarian, Mahdi Lashgarian and Reza Salarvand, according to a report by Reuters. Responding to the allegations, Araghchi accused the French government of shifting blame to external actors to deflect attention from domestic grievances. He also criticised Paris over its position on the conflict in Gaza. "Unable to manage fridges let alone addressing grievances of its people, French government is shifting blame for its failures onto others," Araghchi said in a post on social media platform X. "Yes, Iran is powerful. But unlike France, we do not exercise power via support for massacres in Gaza or bombings of schools and hospitals," he added. France also recalled previous cyber operations it attributed to Iran, including attacks targeting the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2023 and attempted disruptions surrounding the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Iran's ambassador had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry to receive a formal protest. Paris also warned that the European Union could impose additional sanctions on Iranian entities and individuals linked to the operation. The French government said it was considering further diplomatic measures and reserved the right to take both "public and non-public" countermeasures.