Iran Denies Responsibility for Cyber Attack on Supermarkets

Iran has rejected claims by France that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was behind a cyberattack on hundreds of supermarkets last month.

The alleged attack, which occurred overnight on October 11-12, caused refrigerators and freezer units to malfunction, resulting in spoiled produce and isolated fires. This incident is part of a larger series of similar events reported across Europe and beyond.

Tehran's diplomatic response has been swift, with the Foreign Ministry issuing a statement that categorically rejects France's accusations as "baseless" and "one-sided. The ministry also condemned what it described as a hackneyed policy of leveling accusations against Iran without concrete evidence.

The French government has taken the matter seriously, summoning Tehran's ambassador to discuss the incident.

The G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris has been a platform for discussing pressing global issues, and the conflict with Iran is one of them. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was present at the meeting, which provided an opportunity for discussions on the sensitive topic.

Despite a perceived change in tone from the Trump administration since its midterm election defeat, French officials remain cautious about the risk of renewed escalation with Iran. This concern is reflected in the significant time and energy devoted to addressing these issues with their American counterpart during the G7 meeting.

The diplomatic efforts have been accompanied by stern actions on the part of France. The country summoned the Iranian ambassador earlier this week and plans to push for European-level sanctions as a response to the alleged cyber attack.

European officials are working towards a unified stance, with the EU seeking a swift and coordinated response pending discussions with member states.

Iran has dismissed allegations that it is responsible for hacking into French government computer systems to control refrigeration temperatures in several buildings.

Tehran's response comes as France prepares to take further action against what it claims was a deliberate cyberattack by Iranian hackers. The Iranian government has vowed not to stand idly by if economic sanctions are imposed, warning that it will take necessary and appropriate measures" to protect its national interests and security.

The French government is facing criticism from Tehran for trying to shift the blame onto foreign actors. Iran's officials claim that Paris is merely deflecting attention from its own governance failures by making baseless accusations against a foreign country.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau has launched an investigation into leading members of Shahid Kaveh, a cyber unit affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in connection with the alleged hacking incident.

The alleged hacking incident targeting French supermarkets has taken a new turn, with French authorities pointing fingers at a cyber unit affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

According to investigators, the cyber unit conducted large-scale campaigns targeting industrial equipment for sabotage purposes, primarily focusing on Israel and the US but also affecting France and other European countries. In France, roughly 700 out of around 10,000 supermarkets were targeted through web interfaces that initiated abnormal defrost cycles and disabled temperature alert sensors.

Sweden's Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin has warned that similar cyberattacks could be expected in the coming months due to the increasing ease of detecting and exploiting vulnerabilities with AI tools. He noted that it was unclear whether recent hacking incidents targeting Swedish supermarkets were connected, partly because such sabotage methods can be easily replicated after initial reports are made public.