Police cars outside the American embassy in Oslo on March 8, 2026. FREDRIK VARFJELL / AFP
A loud explosion occurred on Saturday night, March 7, to Sunday, March 8, outside the United States embassy in Oslo, announced the Norwegian police. There were no casualties or major damage, with the police not ruling out a “terrorist act.”
“One hypothesis is that it is a terrorist act, but we are not only focusing on this possibility. We must remain open to the possibility of other causes,” said Frode Larsen, head of the joint police investigation and intelligence unit on NRK public channel.
The explosion hit the entrance to the consular section of the embassy around 1 a.m., with media images showing shards of glass in the snow, cracks in a thick glass door, and black marks on the ground likely caused by the explosion.
Investigators searched the area overnight with dogs, drones, and helicopters looking for “one or more potential perpetrators,” according to a statement by Oslo police.
The incident was labeled “unacceptable” by Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide, who is in contact with the embassy’s charge d’affaires, Eric Meyer. The police and Norwegian internal security services (PST) are currently investigating the matter.
“Three ‘bangs’ that made the ground tremble”
Norway’s threat level has remained at three on a scale of five since November 2024, as confirmed by the PST spokesperson Martin Bernsen to Agence France-Presse. He declined to comment on whether there were any threats against American interests in Norway before the explosion.
Police commander Michael Dellemyr told TV2 that the police had an idea of the cause and that the explosion was certainly human-made and not accidental, without providing details on the extent of the damage.
Edvard, a 16-year-old resident of the neighborhood, heard the explosion while watching TV. He said, “My mother and I first thought it came from our house, so we looked around, but then we saw flashing lights outside the window and a crowd of police officers.” He added, “There were police dogs, drones, officers with automatic weapons, and helicopters in the air.”
A group of three friends waiting for a taxi near the embassy recounted hearing three bangs that made the ground shake. They later saw the street covered in smoke as they passed by in their taxi before the police arrived.
Several hours after the explosion, the police declared the area around the building to be “safe” for residents and passersby.
Recent offensive actions in the Middle East prompted heightened security at US embassies due to joint operations with Israel against Iran, leading to attacks on some embassies by Tehran.
By Le Monde with AFP
