France Accuses Iran of Cyberattacks on More Than 700 Commercial Sites and Prepares Sanctions

Paris summoned the Iranian ambassador and demands punishment for those responsible.

France officially held Iran responsible for large-scale cyberattacks on the cooling systems of more than 700 retail sites. Paris condemned these actions and will propose that the EU impose new sanctions against those involved in the attacks.

This is stated in a declaration from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The cyberattacks took place on the night of 11 to 12 October. Hackers interfered with the operation of control devices for supermarket refrigeration equipment. This caused significant material damage, fires, and food spoilage. Losses were estimated at tens of millions of euros.

"This campaign is unprecedented in scale and level of aggression. It is the first offensive cyberoperation on French territory carried out solely for the purpose of sabotage," the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

According to French intelligence services, the attacks were carried out by a unit called Shahid Kaveh, linked to the Electronic and Cyber Operations Center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Paris considers it a persistent threat to the country’s critical infrastructure.

The French Foreign Ministry emphasized that such actions violate international law and the norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace, which Iran itself has supported.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the Iranian ambassador has already been summoned to the Foreign Ministry. Paris also intends to propose sanctions against Iranian organizations and individuals involved in these and other malicious actions.

Separately, the Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal investigation into the head of the Shahid Kaveh unit and two of his deputies. It has also requested international arrest warrants for them.

French services published a joint report on cyberattacks by groups linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against French targets.

The French Foreign Ministry also recalled the cyberattack on the weekly Charlie Hebdo in 2023 and interference with advertising display systems during the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. In March 2026 the EU imposed sanctions on the Iranian company Emennet Pasargad, which it linked to these attacks.

One of the recent incidents was a cyberattack in France on the night of 12 October. Then hackers remotely activated a continuous defrost cycle of refrigeration equipment in hundreds of supermarkets. Temperatures in the units reached 50°C, causing fresh and frozen products to spoil.

On 5 November a similar incident occurred again in France. Hackers breached French blood banks. In three refrigerated warehouses temperature thresholds and defrost cycles rose to a "very high level."