Shafaq News- Oslo/ Baghdad 

Norway on Monday accepted the resignation of its ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, Mona Juul, after authorities initiated an investigation into her links with Jeffrey Epstein, following the appearance of her name in a large cache of files released by the US government.

In a statement, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described the resignation as appropriate and necessary, noting that Juul’s contacts with Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes, amounted to a serious lapse in judgment.

Juul played a central role in the secret negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians that culminated in the 1993 Oslo Accords. Norwegian media outlets previously reported that Epstein set aside $10 million in his will for the two children of Juul and her husband, diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen. Rød-Larsen also took part in the Oslo negotiations and later served in several Middle East roles as a special envoy for the United Nations secretary-general.

Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019, shortly after being charged with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. US prosecutors accused him of exploiting dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, at his homes in Florida and New York between 2002 and 2005, paying them in cash and directing some to recruit others.

On January 30, 2026, the FBI released more than 3 million pages of documents related to Epstein, including emails, flight logs, and images that mention numerous international figures, renewing scrutiny of his extensive network and the reach of his connections across politics, business, and society.