France blames Iran for refrigerator cyberattack, vows retaliation

Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot warned Tuesday that France “forbids itself nothing” in its response to Tehran.

Beyond summoning the ambassador and implementing European sanctions, Barrot stated on FranceinfoTV, “I tell you that we forbid ourselves nothing and that we will take all measures,” including those that will not be publicly disclosed, deemed proportionate and necessary to deter further attacks and sanction those responsible for this unacceptable aggression. He added that French cyber defense doctrine “opens up a number of possibilities” for authorities to take action.

The goal, according to Barrot, is to “deter those who might have the idea, in Iran or elsewhere, of reproducing it.”

Barrot was also questioned about a potential Iranian role in cyberattacks targeting a blood collection service provider, Crédit Mutuel Arkéa bank, and the French tax authority. He indicated that he could not respond to these questions, as investigations are still ongoing.

France has officially attributed responsibility for the cyberattack, which targeted refrigeration controllers at approximately 700 retail sites across France during the night of October 11-12, to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office has requested international arrest warrants against two officials from a unit named Shahid Kaveh.