France has accused Iran of orchestrating a large-scale cyberattack that disrupted refrigeration systems at around 700 supermarkets across the country, causing significant losses of fresh and frozen food. Paris has also announced plans to impose retaliatory sanctions at the European level, while Tehran has rejected the accusation as “baseless and hostile.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the incident as an attack of unprecedented scale and aggression. Speaking to reporters on Monday, he called it the first large-scale cyberattack carried out for sabotage purposes on French territory.

Barrot said the incident represented a serious threat to France's national interests and public security. The government has summoned Iran's ambassador and intends to pursue sanctions against those responsible in coordination with European partners.

Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly denied the allegations on Tuesday, accusing France of trying to divert public attention from what Tehran described as its destructive policies toward Iran.

The ministry also warned that Iran would take necessary measures to protect its national interests and security against what it considers unlawful foreign actions.

Responding to questions about the evidence behind France's accusation, Barrot said the government had established with certainty that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was responsible. However, he declined to reveal how French authorities reached that conclusion.

He added that the Revolutionary Guards would naturally deny involvement because they feared the consequences of France's response.

How the supermarket cyberattack happened

The cyberattack took place in October, when hackers reportedly gained remote access to refrigeration systems at supermarkets and raised the temperatures of refrigerators and freezers by activating defrost cycles.

According to CNN affiliate BFMTV, the disruption resulted in the loss of large quantities of fresh and frozen food. Some refrigeration equipment also reportedly caught fire.

The Paris prosecutor's office has taken up the case and formally accused Iran of involvement. Investigators cited the use of the Persian language, known as Farsi, and IP addresses linked to devices located in Iran as part of the evidence.

The prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the head of Shahid Kaveh, a cyber unit affiliated with the IRGC, along with two of his deputies and other individuals suspected of involvement.

Similar attacks reported across Europe

Similar cyber incidents have also targeted supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium and Ireland earlier this month. However, authorities have not established whether those attacks are connected to the incident in France.

No group has claimed responsibility for the more recent attacks in the other European countries.

The incidents have raised wider concerns about the security of essential infrastructure and the possibility of cyber operations targeting businesses and public services.

Concerns over Iranian-linked cyber threats have increased since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February. Shortly afterwards, US intelligence agencies reportedly issued private warnings to American companies and government organisations, urging them to remain alert to possible cyberattacks linked to Iran.

France's planned response could now lead to further diplomatic tensions between Paris and Tehran, particularly if European sanctions are introduced.