Claim
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said Iran was "very likely" behind recent refrigerator cyberattacks on Belgian shops.
Attributed to Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin on Reuters
Evidence
One search found a Reuters dispatch (Brussels, Nov 13), republished by ThePrint. It reports that Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said Iran was "very likely" behind the recent refrigerator cyberattacks on European shops. Reuters quotes him telling VRT NWS that security services had given enough evidence to say Iran was very likely behind the attacks on "our shops". The same report says Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot was more cautious. Prévot said the available information was insufficient to officially hold Iran responsible. I did not find the original Reuters page, and I found no separate fact-check from Reuters, AFP, Bellingcat or EUvsDisinfo. I did not check the underlying evidence for Iran's involvement. The report's wording is "European shops", and Quintin's own quote refers to "our shops". The claim's "Belgian shops" is a slight narrowing.
Supporting sources
Assessment
A Reuters report, republished by ThePrint, directly attributes the "very likely" statement to Quintin, citing his VRT NWS interview. This confirms he said it. It does not confirm that Iran was actually responsible, and the government itself was divided on that.
Confidence
Some independent corroboration was found, but it isn't yet conclusive.
Timeline
Nov 14, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC
ConfirmedInitial assessment.
First observed Nov 14, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC · Last reviewed Nov 14, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC