Federal officials are investigating after an explosion occurred outside the U.S. embassy in Oslo, Norway early Sunday morning.
The incident took place around 1 a.m. local time at the entrance to the consular section of the embassy compound in western Oslo.
Norwegian police reported minor structural damage to the facility but confirmed no injuries or casualties.
Eyewitness accounts described smoke rising from the area, while several others reported hearing a “loud bang,” according to a report from Fox News.
“We’ve determined that an explosion hit the American embassy,” Oslo Police spokesman Michael Dellemyr told public broadcaster NRK.
Local police and American federal investigators are working to determine whether the explosion resulted from an explosive device thrown at the entrance.
Authorities have not ruled out a potential act of terrorism stemming from ongoing U.S. and Israeli military operations in the Middle East.
However, officials emphasized that other motives are also being considered and that no group or individual has claimed responsibility.
🚨BREAKING: The US Embassy was a target of a bomb attack in Oslo, per Norway Police.
The bomb was detonated around 1 AM in close proximity to the entrance. pic.twitter.com/xqwVZ2hvYh
— Morse Report (@MorseReport) March 8, 2026
Regional developments
In a related development stemming from the ongoing conflict with Iran, the U.S. has evacuated embassy personnel and suspended service at several consulates in the Middle East.
U.S. embassy facilities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been targeted by drone attacks, though no injuries have been reported due to the evacuations.
As of this report, the U.S. has closed embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain indefinitely due to security threats stemming from the ongoing conflict.
Diplomatic staff have been evacuated from the embassy in Amman, Jordan, following reports of threats, and non-essential personnel have departed from missions in Iraq and Qatar.
The State Department has also ordered shelter-in-place protocols for Americans in Kuwait after an Iranian attack on the embassy there.
These actions follow a series of incidents, including drone strikes near the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, which the Saudi Foreign Ministry described as a “flagrant Iranian attack.”
A similar drone incident occurred near the U.S. consulate in Dubai, and missile strikes have targeted areas in the Gulf region.
