Iran on Tuesday dismissed as baseless French allegations linking Tehran to cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems last month, rejecting accusations of involvement in the incidents.
"Iran's foreign ministry categorically rejects the French government's baseless and one-sided accusations against Iran regarding alleged cyber activities in France," the ministry said in a statement.
It added that it "strongly condemns this hackneyed policy of levelling accusations against the Islamic republic."
Hundreds of French supermarkets were hit in the Oct. 11 and 12 cyberattacks, which raised the temperatures in their refrigerators and freezers, forcing many to throw away entire inventories of perishable food.
Similar incidents were then reported in at least 11 other European countries in early November.
Along with summoning Iran's ambassador and seeking European-level sanctions, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday that Paris would "rule nothing out and will take all measures – including those we may not disclose publicly – that we deem proportionate and necessary to deter any further attacks."
Tehran meanwhile said it would "not hesitate to take necessary and appropriate measures to safeguard its national interests and security in the face of unlawful foreign activities
It added that France "is merely projecting its own governance failures" with these accusations.
Later in the day, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed the French government for the incident.
"Unable to manage fridges let alone addressing grievances of its people, French government is shifting blame for its failures onto others," the top diplomat said on X.
Also on Tuesday, the European Union said it would look to provide a "swift and united response" pending discussion with member states after France's announcement.
