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Empty shelves at a major supermarket in Belgium following a cyberattack on its refrigeration control system. /AP-Yonhap

French authorities have identified Iran as the suspected perpetrator of a cyberattack on refrigeration and freezer control systems at major supermarkets last month.

French news outlet Franceinfo reported Monday, citing an announcement by the Paris prosecutor's office, that a cyber unit affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was suspected of carrying out the attack.

Between Oct. 11 and 12, cyberattacks targeted around 700 supermarkets across France, causing temperatures in refrigerators and freezers to rise sharply. Investigators found that the hackers had carefully planned the attacks, remotely hacking refrigeration control systems to raise temperatures to as high as 50 degrees Celsius and disabling alarms designed to sound when refrigerator temperatures exceeded certain thresholds.

"The affected supermarkets had to discard products, and the attacks caused not only food losses but also 20 fires resulting from the high temperatures," the Paris prosecutor's office said.

Following the cyberattacks, France's Anti-Cybercrime Office (OFAC) and General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) launched an investigation to identify those responsible. On Monday, the Paris prosecutor's office identified Shahid Kaveh, a unit affiliated with the IRGC's Electronic and Cyber Center (CGRI-CEC), as the suspected perpetrator.

"We identified traces of Persian being used, methods characteristic of the Shahid Kaveh unit, and IP addresses linked to devices located in Iran," Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau explained. She added, "We have also launched a formal investigation targeting the head of the Shahid Kaveh unit, two of his deputies and other individuals involved."

The Paris prosecutor's office is investigating suspected "organized attacks on automated data processing systems" and "organized acts of destruction using means dangerous to people." It said the charges would be aggravated if the offenses were found to have been committed for the benefit of a foreign power, namely Iran.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the cyberattack on supermarket refrigeration facilities as "an act of terrorism unprecedented in its scale and aggressiveness" and warned, "We will impose European-level sanctions on all those responsible for the attack."

He also said, "We have summoned the Iranian ambassador to France to lodge a strong protest against this cyberattack."

                                                                                                               Lim Yu-jung