Persecution · November 12, 2026
France accuses Iran's Revolutionary Guards of cyberattack on supermarket refrigeration systems
France's foreign minister announced on Monday, November 9 that Iran's Revolutionary Guards were responsible for a cyberattack against refrigeration equipment in French supermarkets during October, stating that European-level sanctions would follow. Jean-Noël Barrot described the attack as unprecedented in scale and aggression. France summoned Iran's ambassador to lodge a formal protest against what officials characterized as an extremely serious act.
The Paris prosecutor's office opened a judicial investigation into the cyberattacks and identified the Iranian cyber unit Shahid Kaveh, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards' electronic and cyber center, as the perpetrator. Prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced that investigating judges had been assigned to the case and that international arrest warrants had been requested against the unit's leader and two deputies.
Investigators identified characteristic operational methods of the Iranian unit, including the use of the Farsi language and internet protocol addresses traced to terminals located in Iran. The cyberattacks targeted refrigeration controllers manufactured by Danfoss and Dixell, affecting approximately 700 retail sites across France during the night of October 11 to 12. The attacks caused significant food losses and triggered approximately twenty fires.
The attackers gained remote control of the equipment through web interfaces and initiated unlimited defrosting cycles while disabling temperature alert systems designed to activate when temperatures exceeded safe thresholds. The prosecutor's office charged the perpetrators with fraudulent interference with automated data processing systems in an organized group, property damage by dangerous means in an organized group, and participation in a criminal association. These charges were aggravated by the allegation that the attacks were committed to serve a foreign power, specifically Iran.
The Paris prosecutor's cybercrime division assumed jurisdiction over the simultaneous attacks on October 12. The investigation is now being conducted by the Anti-Cybercrime Office and the Directorate-General for Internal Security, with oversight from investigating judges.