France Blames Iran's Revolutionary Guard for October Supermarket Fridge Cyberattack and Promises EU Sanctions

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot formally attributed last month's large-scale cyberattack on French supermarket refrigeration systems to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, calling it an attack of "unprecedented scale and unprecedented aggressiveness" and the first major sabotage-focused cyberattack on French national territory. The October attack hit roughly 700 retail locations across France, targeting chains including Intermarche and Cooperative U, causing significant food spoilage and triggering around 20 fires as refrigeration units overheated to temperatures reported as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

Paris prosecutors said they have asked an investigative judge to continue the case and to issue arrest warrants, including against the head of the Iranian cyber unit and his two deputies. Barrot announced that the attribution will carry consequences, specifically the imposition of EU sanctions against Iran, signaling a coordinated European diplomatic response to what officials described as a direct assault on national food security and civilian infrastructure.