Norwegian authorities are examining whether Iran may be connected to the recent bombing outside the United States embassy in Oslo, raising concerns that attacks targeting American, Israeli, or Jewish interests could extend to other European countries.
The explosion occurred on Sunday, March 8th, outside the American embassy in the Norwegian capital. Within days, three brothers of Iraqi origin were arrested and charged with the terrorist attack. Later, their mother was also charged in connection with the attack.
Police are investigating multiple possible motives behind the bombing and have not yet reached a definitive conclusion. Police prosecutor Christian Hatlo said during a press conference that investigators are considering several hypotheses. “One of them is whether this is a request from a state actor,” Hatlo said.
While Norwegian authorities continue their investigation, Swedish police say the incident highlights broader security concerns linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Niclas Andersson, head of the investigation unit at the police’s National Operations Department (Noa), said authorities in Sweden are closely monitoring developments and assessing possible threats.
“The police are closely following developments in Iran, and it is obvious that there are threats to American, Israeli, and Jewish interests in Sweden,” Andersson said. “We are, of course, working on this to gain a greater understanding and to implement safety-enhancing measures.”
According to Andersson, there have already been individual cases in Sweden connected to these threats. Authorities say potential safety measures could include increased protection around embassies and institutions connected to Jewish communities.
Investigators are also examining whether criminal groups could be involved in carrying out acts of violence on behalf of state actors. “Our assessment, together with the Security Service, is that the Iranian regime is using criminal networks to carry out acts of violence,” Andersson said, while declining to comment directly on the specific information regarding the Oslo attack.
Police say criminal networks increasingly coordinate violent missions through online channels where assignments are posted in chat groups. Investigators describe the system as a form of outsourced violence that can be used by different actors.
“We follow the flows, and we have talked about this for a long time: ‘violence as a service,’ where you post assignments in different chat groups,” Andersson explained.
Authorities warn that the Oslo bombing demonstrates how American interests can be targeted beyond conflict zones and that the threat environment may extend across Europe.
“It shows that American interests can be attacked in different parts of the world. I will refer questions about the exact background and motives for the attack to the Norwegian police,” Andersson highlighted.
