Iran Rejects French Blame for Supermarket Fridge Cyberattacks as EU Weighs Response

"Iran's foreign ministry categorically rejects the French government's baseless and one-sided accusations against Iran regarding alleged cyber activities in France," the ministry said in a statement. It said France "is merely projecting its own governance failures" and warned that Iran would "not hesitate to take necessary and appropriate measures to safeguard its national interests and security in the face of unlawful foreign activities."

Hundreds of French supermarkets were hit on October 11 and 12. The attackers raised temperatures in refrigerators and freezers, and many stores had to throw away their entire stock of perishable food. Similar incidents were reported in at least 11 other European countries in early November. Because the attacks spoiled food rather than stealing data, they show how far internet-connected control systems in ordinary shops can be used to cause real losses.

France has summoned Iran's ambassador and is pressing for sanctions at the European level. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that Paris would "rule nothing out and will take all measures, including those we may not disclose publicly, that we deem proportionate and necessary to deter any further attacks."

The EU said it would aim for a "swift and united response" once it had discussed the matter with member states.

Iran's statement also mocked the accusation. "A government that cannot even manage the temperature of its own refrigerators now seeks to shift the blame onto foreign actors through these preposterous accusations," the ministry said, and it condemned what it called a "hackneyed policy" of accusing the Islamic republic.

Neither side has published technical evidence about how the attackers got into the refrigeration systems, and Tehran gave no account of its own. EU sanctions would need agreement from member states, and no date has been set for that discussion.