France has launched a judicial investigation into an Iranian cyber unit linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over attacks that disrupted refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets last month, prosecutors said Monday.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the investigation targets the leader of the Shahid Kaveh group, an offensive cyber unit affiliated with the IRGC's Electronic and Cyber Center, along with two deputies and other potential suspects.
French intelligence services attributed the cyberattacks, carried out overnight Oct. 11-12, to the IRGC, French newspaper Le Figaro reported Monday, citing a source familiar with the investigation.
The attacks targeted refrigeration systems at several hundred supermarkets across France, raising concerns about the vulnerability of critical commercial infrastructure to cyber threats.
"The Paris prosecutor's office is requesting the issuance of international arrest warrants," prosecutors said in a statement.
The investigation comes amid reports of similar cyberattacks targeting refrigeration facilities in several European countries, including Britain, Germany, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands.
