Norwegian Police Arrest Three Brothers Over Explosion at U.S. Embassy in Oslo

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Norwegian police said Wednesday that three brothers of Iraqi origin have been arrested on suspicion of carrying out a “terrorist bombing” linked to an explosion outside the United States Embassy Oslo over the weekend, an incident that caused minor damage but no injuries.

Police prosecutor Christian Hatlo said during a press conference that the three suspects, Norwegian citizens of Iraqi origin in their twenties, were detained in Oslo as part of the investigation into the blast.

Authorities are continuing to examine the motive behind the explosion, Hatlo said, adding that investigators are considering several possible explanations.

“We are still working from several hypotheses. One of them is whether this is an order from a government entity,” Hatlo told reporters.

“This is quite natural given the target -- the US embassy -- and the security situation the world is in today,” he added.

The explosion occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. local time on Sunday at the entrance to the embassy’s consular section, according to police. The blast caused limited structural damage to the facility but resulted in no injuries.

Hatlo said investigators believe one of the suspects physically placed the device outside the embassy while the other two may have assisted in the operation.

“We believe that one of them is the person who placed the bomb outside the embassy and that the other two were complicit in the act,” Hatlo said.

The suspects had not previously come to the attention of law enforcement authorities, according to the prosecutor.

One of the three brothers has acknowledged involvement in the incident, according to his lawyer, Oystein Storrvik.

Speaking to the Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 Norway, Storrvik said his client admitted to placing the explosive device.

“He admits that he placed the bomb there,” Storrvik told the broadcaster.

Storrvik said his client had been questioned by police and had provided an account of the events.

“He has explained what happened, and I have no further comments at this time,” the lawyer said.

Police said they are continuing to investigate the precise roles played by each of the suspects and whether others may have been involved in the incident.

Hatlo said investigators are also examining possible links between the suspects and criminal networks.

While none of the brothers were previously known to authorities, police have not ruled out the possibility that outside actors may have played a role in the planning or execution of the attack.

The investigation is also examining whether the suspects may have acted independently or in connection with a broader network.

In its annual threat assessment released last month, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) warned that Iran represents one of the main potential threats to Norway’s security environment.

The assessment said that Iran could rely on “proxy actors,” including criminal networks, to conduct operations abroad.

Officials have not stated that Iran was involved in the embassy explosion, and the investigation remains ongoing.

On Tuesday, Alireza Jahangiri, Iran’s ambassador in Oslo, rejected suggestions that his country was connected to the incident.

“It is unacceptable that we are being singled out,” Jahangiri told the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.

Police have also opened a separate inquiry into online material that appeared around the time of the explosion.

According to authorities, a video was uploaded to the Google Maps page for the U.S. embassy in Oslo shortly after the blast occurred.

The video was later removed.

According to reporting by the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, the video appeared to show Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran.

NRK reported that the individual who uploaded the video wrote a message in Persian that read: “God is great. We are victorious.”

Police said they have opened an investigation to determine who posted the video and whether it is connected to the bombing.

Authorities also released two still images from surveillance camera footage on Monday as part of their efforts to identify suspects in the case.

The images showed a person wearing dark clothing with a hood covering the head and carrying a backpack near the embassy compound.

Officials did not say whether the individual shown in the footage was one of the suspects later arrested.

The explosion in Oslo occurred during a period of heightened security concerns involving U.S. diplomatic facilities.

According to the report, American embassies in parts of the Middle East have been placed on high alert following U.S. strikes on Iran.

Several diplomatic and industrial facilities have faced attacks during the subsequent escalation, as tensions involving Iran and the United States have intensified.

Norwegian authorities have not announced any changes to security measures at diplomatic sites in Oslo following the arrests.

Police said the investigation into the embassy bombing remains ongoing as authorities continue to examine possible motives and determine the exact sequence of events leading up to the explosion.