{"id":349281,"date":"2026-11-11T13:54:41","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T12:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=349281"},"modified":"2026-11-11T13:54:41","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T12:54:41","slug":"irans-covert-war-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/terrorism-a-fundamentalism\/irans-covert-war-in-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran\u2019s Covert War in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"

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French National Police officers in tactical gear<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Six-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The cyber sabotage of hundreds of French supermarkets is the latest warning that Tehran\u2019s operations in Europe have moved far beyond surveillance of dissidents. Years of arrests, sanctions and diplomatic protests have not ended the threat.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Something changed in France on the night of October 11.<\/p>\n

Attackers did not steal government secrets or deface a website. They remotely manipulated refrigeration systems at more than 700 supermarkets<\/a>. Food spoiled. Equipment was damaged. Fires broke out. Losses ran into tens of millions of euros.<\/p>\n

On November 9, the French government formally attributed the operation to Iran, saying it had been carried out by Shahid Kaveh, a cyber offensive unit affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Paris described it as unprecedented: the first cyber campaign conducted purely for sabotage on French territory.<\/p>\n

The attack was digital, but its consequences were physical.<\/p>\n

It also raises a larger question that European governments have been confronting for years: how many incidents must occur before a succession of Iranian-linked operations<\/a> is treated as a strategic security problem rather than a series of separate cases?<\/p>\n

France is hardly alone.<\/p>\n

European governments have investigated or prosecuted cases involving assassination plots, surveillance of dissidents, attempted bombings, cyberattacks, arson, intimidation of journalists and the use of organized criminal networks. The targets have ranged from Iranian opposition figures to Jewish communities, media organizations and military facilities.<\/p>\n

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In light of Hamid Noury's release today, it's crucial to revisit the endless cycle of Western appeasement fueling #Iran<\/a>'s regime #terror<\/a> and hostage-taking. This loop, starting with Iranian dissidents, now ensnares Western officials and citizens.https:\/\/t.co\/ieaaOkZb6y<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n