France has officially blamed Iran for a major cyber attack targeting supermarket refrigerators last month. Following this serious incident, the French government took a strong stance by summoning the Iranian ambassador. A thorough investigation by the Paris prosecutor office uncovered undeniable evidence of Iranian IP addresses and the use of the Persian language behind the attack, prompting France to take this decisive diplomatic action. French authorities stated that they will demand strict European sanctions against those responsible for this hostile act to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The massive cyber attack, which took place on October 12, caused refrigerator temperatures to rise Importantly, directly affecting about 700 out of the country 10000 supermarkets. In an official statement released on Monday, Paris prosecutors elaborated that they discovered the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard of Iran was behind this large-scale cyber assault.
Condemnation Of The Attack In Strongest Terms
The French Foreign Ministry condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms. During G7 talks in Paris, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that the Iranian ambassador was summoned to lodge a strong protest against this extremely serious action. Minister Barrot described the attack as unprecedented in scale and aggression. He further stated that this is the first major cyber attack carried out with the intent of sabotage on French soil. He emphasized that it poses a major threat to national interests and the security of French citizens, and Because of this, a firm response will certainly be given.
Preparation For European Level Sanctions
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stressed that France will impose European-level sanctions against all individuals responsible for this attack. He also reiterated that they're fully prepared to take all necessary steps to respond to the attack and prevent future cyber threats of this nature. Paris Chief Prosecutor Laure Beccuav stated in a detailed statement that a formal judicial investigation was launched on Monday under suspicion of organized cybercrime.
A particularly serious aspect of this entire case is that this criminal act was carried out to serve the interests of a foreign power, in this case, Iran. The scope of this ongoing judicial investigation includes Shahid Kaveh, who is the head of a cyber unit associated with Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC, while in addition, two of his associates and other individuals connected to this case are being thoroughly investigated to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.
Efforts To Secure International Arrest Warrants
Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuav informed investigators that evidence revealed the attackers used the Persian language and utilized IP addresses linked to devices located inside Iran, while she stated that the Paris prosecutor office is now making concerted efforts to secure international arrest warrants to bring the culprits to justice.
To recall, in the early hours of October 12, cunning attackers remotely took control of refrigeration systems installed in hundreds of supermarkets and independent stores across France. The temperature inside the refrigerators reached around 50 degrees Celsius for approximately six hours, forcing store owners to throw away large quantities of fresh and frozen goods. The Intermarche supermarket chain reported suffering millions of euros in financial losses in a single day, causing widespread alarm across the country commercial sector.