Norwegian police stated that an explosive device was hurled at the diplomatic compound on Sunday morning
Norwegian authorities are investigating an explosion outside the U.S. Embassy in Oslo as a potential act of terrorism. The incident took place amid heightened security for American diplomatic posts following the U.S.-Israel air campaign against Iran.
The blast occurred at approximately 1 a.m. on Sunday and caused minor damage to the diplomatic compound’s entrance. Grete Metlid, head of operational services at Oslo Police, said during a press conference that an explosive device appears to have been tossed at the building. Photographs from the scene show broken glass and fallen lighting fixtures near the entrance.
Shortly after the explosion, a video was posted on the embassy’s Google Maps page featuring Iran’s deceased Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alongside an Arabic message: “God is great. We are the victors.” Police said they are aware of the clip and are examining it as part of their investigation.
“One of the hypotheses is that it is an act of terrorism,” Frode Larsen, head of Oslo Police’s investigation and intelligence unit, told NRK.
Norway’s domestic security service PST has joined the probe and is treating the incident as a high priority, with security tightened around the site. No arrests have been made so far.
U.S. diplomatic missions worldwide have been placed on high alert following joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran that began February 28. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at American bases across the Middle East and at Israel.
U.S. diplomatic posts in Dubai and Riyadh have reportedly been targeted by Iranian drones, prompting the State Department to close embassies in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Kuwait, and to urge American citizens to leave the Middle East.
At least 10 people were killed in Karachi, Pakistan, when U.S. Marines opened fire on protesters attempting to storm the American consulate on March 1.
More than 32,000 Americans have returned from the Middle East since the start of the conflict, according to the State Department.
President Donald Trump has demanded an “unconditional surrender” from Iran as the U.S. military reportedly braces for a weeks-long campaign.