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French authorities claimed that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was behind a cyber attack that increased temperatures in supermarket refrigerators and freezers across the country last month.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Varro called the attack "unprecedented in scale and aggression" and predicted sanctions against those responsible.
Meanwhile, Iran has not released an official position, but some Iranian media dismissed the claim as unfounded.
Following the incident in France, which resulted in tons of frozen and refrigerated food being thrown away, similar attacks targeting supermarkets occurred in several other European countries.
However, the connection between these incidents has not yet been revealed.
Minister Baro said the incident targeting the country's supermarkets was "the first large-scale cyber sabotage attack on our territory" and "a serious attack on national interests and the security of the French people."
The government then summoned Iran's ambassador and said it "strongly protested against this extremely serious act."
Baro added that the government would take "all necessary measures" to respond to the incident and "deter those who wish to commit similar acts."
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Paris Prosecutor General Laure Becquo said he had opened an investigation into the head of an offensive cyber unit linked to the IRGC and two of his subordinates.
Prosecutor General Bequo explained that this unit, named 'Shahid Qabeh', is linked to the IRGC's electronic and cyber department.
‘Shahid Qabeh’ is the name referring to a group of hackers believed to be directly employed by the Iranian regime.
In recent weeks, commentators and politicians in Iran have called for expanding retaliatory measures beyond the Middle East if the United States and Israel resume the war that began earlier this year.
Even if the IRGC was truly behind this cyberattack, it is still unclear whether it was part of Iran's deterrence strategy.
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On October 11, the temperature control software for refrigeration equipment used by several supermarkets in France was hacked.
As a result, about 100 supermarkets belonging to 'Kopehatip U' and 180 stores of 'Enter Marche' and its subsidiary brand 'Neto' were affected. In some stores, refrigerator temperatures reportedly soared to 50°C overnight.
Other major food retailers, including Carrefour, Monoprit, and Leclerc, were also victims of this attack, which targeted software provided by Danish engineering company Danfoss.
The software allows retailers to remotely manage their refrigeration facilities.
And earlier this month, another large-scale hacking incident occurred, affecting more than 100 stores across Europe.
Damage was reported in Belgium and Luxembourg, and several stores were confirmed to have been attacked in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Finland.
Meanwhile, in August of this year, an incident occurred in a small number of U.S. military bases where refrigerators malfunctioned for an unknown reason and food spoiled. Citing a source familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that an investigation is underway into the possibility that this incident was also a deliberate cyber attack.
As attacks targeting freezers continue, experts are speculating which hacking group may be behind them. Iran is also on the list of potential suspects.
On the 4th, two hacking groups linked to Russia claimed responsibility, but few people believed them.
Meanwhile, the French government did not elaborate on how it reached the conclusion that Iran was behind it. Because hackers are able to hide their location, it is very difficult to determine who is behind a cyber attack.
Additional reporting: Farshad Bayan (BBC Persian Service)
