French officials have accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guards of carrying out cyberattacks that disabled commercial refrigerators and freezers in hundreds of supermarkets across France last month. The government has warned that Iran will face consequences, and Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the Iranian ambassador had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry, according to Reuters. He also suggested that the European Union could impose further sanctions on Iran.
The attacks, which began on October 11, changed the temperature settings of refrigerators in shops throughout the country. In some cases, the machines became so warm that food spoiled or even caught fire. Supermarket workers were forced to throw away rotting meat and melted ice cream, while owners warned that the total damage could reach tens of millions of euros.
Cybersecurity experts said the attack may have been relatively simple to carry out. Many of the affected refrigerators were old or used outdated software, which could have made them easier for hackers to enter and control. The company that made many of the units said several were obsolete or running outdated firmware.
Iran has not commented on the French accusation. Its mission to the United Nations did not respond to requests for comment, and Iran routinely denies involvement in malicious cyber operations.
The refrigerator attacks were followed this month by a second wave of hacking that affected more than 100 businesses across Europe. The incidents also reached French blood banks, forcing staff to move blood supplies to other cold-storage units to keep them safe.
The attacks have raised broader concerns about digital sabotage in Europe. Officials and investigators are also examining similar incidents in the United States, where refrigerators in at least six military commissaries stopped working in August. The Pentagon is treating those failures as a possible cyberattack and is cooperating with French investigators.
The United States has not confirmed who was responsible, but a person familiar with the investigation said the Pentagon considers Iran a suspect. Investigators have not established a clear link between the American incidents and the European attacks.
The case highlights how ordinary technology, from supermarket freezers to hospital equipment, can become a target in modern cyber conflict. It also shows how quickly a small technical weakness can create major consequences for businesses, public services, and everyday life.
