Belgium is taking very seriously the French allegations that Iran was involved in cyberattacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said on Tuesday.
France said on Monday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were behind large-scale cyberattacks in October that affected hundreds of connected supermarket fridges.
Paris summoned Iran’s ambassador to protest what it called an extremely serious act and said it would pursue European sanctions against those responsible.
In Belgium, a federal prosecutor-led investigation is under way into incidents that affected several refrigeration installations in early November.
At this stage, Belgian authorities say they have no evidence allowing them to attribute responsibility to Iran or any other actor, and they cannot establish a link with the earlier attacks in France, a spokesperson for Prévot said.
The spokesperson added that Belgium was not downplaying the threat. The country has repeatedly condemned cyberattacks and other hybrid activities attributed to Iran.
Belgium again did so on 12 October in a joint statement with several international partners. In March, it also backed the adoption of EU sanctions against an Iranian company involved in cyberattacks targeting France and Sweden.
Belgium’s position is therefore clear, the spokesperson said: such attacks are unacceptable and Europe must be able to respond appropriately.
Targeted sanctions could be an important tool in that response, she said, adding that Belgium is open to the French proposal and will examine it carefully with its European partners on the basis of the available information.
