France and U.S. suspect Iran; France plans to propose new EU sanctions
France and the U.S. suspect Iran was behind a cyberattack on European supermarket refrigerators and freezers that remotely raised temperatures at over 700 supermarkets in France, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage to spoiled food and equipment. Speaking Monday at a G-7 meeting in Paris, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Iran would face retribution for the hack.
“This is the first large-scale cyberattack carried out for the purpose of sabotage on national territory, and it constitutes a major threat to the nation’s interests and the security of the French people,” Barrot said.
Last month, hackers connected to refrigerators and freezers across more than 700 supermarkets in France and remotely raised temperatures. French authorities said the cyberattacks caused considerable material damage, outbreaks of fire and food losses.
French authorities attributed the attack to the Shahid Kaveh offensive cyber unit, affiliated with the Electronic and Cyber Warfare Command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
U.S. officials confirmed that probes into the campaign show the hallmarks of Iranian cyber methods, though an investigation is ongoing. The attribution therefore remained subject to an active U.S. inquiry.
Barrot said his government summoned the Iranian ambassador. French authorities said France is planning to propose new EU sanctions against the Iranian entities and individuals involved in the cyberattack.
Barrot also said, “It will not go unpunished.”
Barrot and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the Iran war and other national-security matters on the sidelines of the gathering.
The disclosure came as the Trump administration was deciding whether to restart airstrikes on Iran or push for a negotiated deal to end the war. Iran had warned that it would expand its retaliations beyond the Middle East if the U.S. resumed its attacks.