A Norwegian court has sentenced a former security guard at the US embassy in Oslo to three years and seven months in prison for passing sensitive information to Russian and Iranian intelligence, the court said on Thursday.
The man told investigators he acted to protest US support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
The 28-year-old Norwegian, whose name has not been released, was found guilty of providing floor plans, personal details of embassy staff and their families, and information about activities at the mission between March and November 2024. The court said he received 10,000 euros ($11,700) from Russian intelligence and 0.17 bitcoin from Iranian intelligence in return.
During the trial, the defendant admitted to spying but denied aggravated espionage, saying the material he shared was not classified. He told the court his actions were motivated by opposition to Washington’s support for Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
The verdict comes amid heightened concern in Europe about foreign espionage and influence operations. Britain’s MI5 warned this week that intelligence agencies from China, Russia and Iran are targeting lawmakers to shape policy and collect information.
European authorities have also stepped up investigations into financial and cyber networks linked to Iran. In Germany, media reports said a Berlin businesswoman allegedly helped move Iranian oil revenues through front companies tied to the defense ministry. In Australia, police charged a Sydney man with sending nearly $650,000 to sanctioned Iranian banks.
Western intelligence services say Tehran has expanded its overseas operations in recent years through cyber activity, disinformation campaigns and the recruitment of local agents. Iran denies running espionage networks abroad and says it faces similar accusations meant to isolate it diplomatically.
