French officials blame Iran for refrigerator hacks, vow retaliation

PARIS — French officials on Monday accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of responsibility for the cyberattacks that knocked out commercial refrigerators and freezers across France last month, saying there would be consequences for Iran. The hacks that struck hundreds of French supermarkets in early October were among the most disruptive cyberattacks of the Iran war that began in February, a conflict that has been marked by scattered incidents of alleged digital disruption. These have included hacks against the Los Angeles transit system in March, against US water treatment plants in July and against ships bound for the United States in August. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not return messages seeking comment. Iran routinely denies carrying out malicious cyber operations. The French announcement was made only minutes after Reuters revealed that investigators privately suspected Iran of being behind the attacks. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the Iranian ambassador had been summoned to France's foreign ministry. Barrot also threatened further EU sanctions again