France Condemns Iranian Cyberattacks Targeting Its Interests

Paris, November 9 (KUNA) -- The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned on Monday the “unacceptable” Iranian cyberattacks against French interests. In a statement, the ministry said, “A cyberattack campaign during the period from October 11 to 12 targeted the control systems of cooling units in many large shopping centers distributed across more than 700 areas in France.” The statement added, “These cyberattacks caused serious material damage, sparked fires, and led to losses of food supplies. We consider this a serious assault on the interests of the French state and the security of the French people.” It clarified, “This cyber campaign is unprecedented in its scope and level of hostility, representing the first cyberattack campaign carried out for purely sabotage purposes on our territory.” It revealed that investigations had established the involvement of a specialized unit within the Electronic and Cyber Center of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in these attacks. It stressed that cyberattacks “cannot be justified or tolerated,” considering them incompatible with international law. It noted that Iran’s ambassador accredited to France would be summoned to deliver a protest note and a strongly worded condemnation regarding these attacks. (End) M.B. / S.A.M.