TEHRAN, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday rejected France's "baseless and malicious" accusation of Iran's involvement in a cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets in October.
In a statement, the ministry strongly condemned the "threadbare" policy of hurling accusations against Iran.
The ministry said the latest accusation was a continuation of previous claims aimed at diverting public attention from France's "destructive policies" toward Iran and the West Asia region, calling it an "irresponsible and silly action" aiming to tarnish Iran's image and disrupt its relations with other countries.
It stressed that Iran would not hesitate to take "necessary and appropriate" measures to protect its national interests and security in the face of "illegal foreign activities."
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Monday said Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps was responsible for the cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems.
Speaking to reporters in Paris after a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers, Barrot said France had summoned the Iranian ambassador to Paris to lodge a "strong protest" over the attack.■
