Norway police release images of suspect in hood linked to US embassy explosion in Oslo

Norwegian police on Monday released two surveillance images of a man suspected of being behind an explosion that occurred outside the US embassy in Oslo on Sunday.The investigation to identify the perpetrator and determine whether the blast was linked to wider tensions in the Middle East is under way.

The photographs that appear to be captured from security camera footage show a man dressed in dark-coloured clothes with the hood over his head. He has his head tilted down, which casts a shadow on his face, completely blacking out his face.The individual is carrying a backpack near the entrance to the embassy’s consular section shortly before the explosion early on SundayAuthorities pointed out that the suspect’s face was not visible in the grainy images.Police believe the individual placed an improvised explosive device (IED) at the embassy entrance before the blast occurred at around 1:00 am local time. No injuries were reported, though the explosion caused minor damage to the building.“The individual has still not been identified, and we have no specific suspects,” police said in a statement, adding that no arrests have been made so far. Investigators said efforts to identify the suspect were continuing “at full capacity”.Authorities are examining several possible motives, including whether the incident may have been an act of terror. Police also said they were exploring a potential link to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, although no theory has yet been confirmed.Investigators are additionally looking into a video that appeared on the Google Maps page for the US embassy around the time of the incident and has since been removed. The clip reportedly featured Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of US-Israeli strikes in Iran.According to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, the person who uploaded the video wrote in Persian: “God is great. We are victorious.” Police said they were conducting several inquiries related to the video but declined to comment further.Security around the US embassy and other American, Israeli and Jewish sites in Norway was stepped up following the explosion. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described the incident as “very serious and completely unacceptable”.Photographs from the scene showed shattered glass scattered across the snow outside the entrance, cracks in a thick glass door and scorch marks on the ground. Overhead lamps were also seen hanging loose from exposed wiring.Norway’s domestic security service, PST, is assisting the investigation.However, officials said the national threat level remains unchanged at three on a five-point scale, where it has stood since November 2024. Norway’s Prime Minister also stressed that there was nothing to suggest the public in Oslo or elsewhere in the country faced an immediate danger.