A diplomatic row has erupted between France and Iran after Paris accused an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cyber unit of carrying out attacks that disrupted refrigeration systems across hundreds of supermarkets in France. Tehran has rejected the allegations, with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi mocking the French government for being "unable to manage fridges".
French authorities said a joint investigation by intelligence and cybersecurity agencies had identified Shahid Kaveh, an offensive cyber unit affiliated with the IRGC's Electronic Warfare and Cyber Defence Organization, as responsible for the attacks. The operation targeted temperature controls in commercial refrigeration systems on the night of October 11-12, affecting around 700 establishments across France.
According to French authorities, the hackers remotely altered the temperature settings of refrigeration units, resulting in widespread food spoilage worth tens of millions of euros. At least 15 fires were also reported after refrigeration units were affected.
Besides supermarkets, the attacks targeted small butcher shops, a slaughterhouse and food-processing factories.
In a statement, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs described the operation as an act of "unprecedented…