Iranian Hacking Campaign Hits French Supermarkets and Blood Banks

French authorities have formally accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of orchestrating severe cyberattacks on commercial refrigeration systems across the country, warning Tehran that retaliatory measures will follow.

The incidents have escalated into a major diplomatic conflict after nearly 700 commercial and industrial facilities in France suffered sudden refrigeration failures last month. Hackers deliberately turned up the temperature settings, causing at least 15 units to catch fire. The sabotage led to the destruction of meat and other perishable foods in hundreds of supermarkets, resulting in millions of euros in financial damages.

Recent findings indicate that the disruption extended beyond retail chains to affect over 100 institutions across Europe, including blood banks in France. Hospital staff were forced to rapidly transfer critical blood reserves to alternative cooling units to prevent contamination. Similar attacks targeting refrigeration infrastructure were also reported at U.S. military bases in August.

In a joint report, French intelligence and cybersecurity agencies identified "Shahid Kaveh" - a cyber-warfare unit linked to the Revolutionary Guards - as the group responsible. Investigators traced Farsi language artifacts within the attack infrastructure and matched digital signatures to previous operations by the group.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that the Iranian ambassador was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding that new sanctions from the European Union are under consideration. Simultaneously, Paris prosecutors confirmed they are preparing international arrest warrants for the Iranian suspects involved.

Cybersecurity experts noted that outdated software in commercial cooling systems made them particularly vulnerable to intrusion. Iran's mission to the United Nations has not yet responded to the allegations.