Norway’s Ambassador to Jordan and Iraq Resigns Following New Epstein Revelations
Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, Mona Juul, has resigned from her post following the emergence of fresh documents linking her family to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The resignation, confirmed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, comes days after reports surfaced alleging that Epstein had designated significant financial assets to Juul’s family in his estate planning.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide announced that he had accepted Juul’s resignation, describing the decision as “correct and necessary.” In a press briefing, Eide stated that while Juul has had a distinguished career, her association with Epstein represented a “serious lapse in judgment” that eroded the trust required for such a sensitive diplomatic role. “The case makes it difficult to restore the degree of trust needed to hold this position,” Eide said.
Deep Search: The Financial Connection
The catalyst for Juul’s abrupt departure appears to be new information regarding Epstein’s estate. Norwegian media outlets, citing recently released files, reported that Epstein had set aside approximately $10 million in his will for Juul’s two children. This revelation significantly deepened the scrutiny on Juul, who had previously faced questions regarding her husband’s ties to Epstein but had largely avoided direct career consequences until now. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated a formal investigation under the State Employees Act to determine the full extent of the contact between the ambassador and Epstein, and whether any diplomatic resources or official channels were compromised.
Background: A Diplomatic Power Couple
Mona Juul and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, are among Norway’s most high-profile diplomats, best known for their pivotal role in facilitating the secret negotiations that led to the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Juul previously served as Norway’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
The controversy surrounding the couple is not new. In 2020, Rød-Larsen was forced to resign as president of the International Peace Institute (IPI) in New York after it was revealed the think tank had accepted donations from Epstein, and that Rød-Larsen had taken a personal loan from him. At the time, Juul remained in her diplomatic posts, but the surfacing of direct financial stipulations in Epstein’s will for their children has reignited public and political outrage in Norway.
Objections and Defense
In a statement issued through her lawyer, Thomas Skjelbred, Juul did not admit to professional misconduct but acknowledged that the prevailing circumstances had become untenable. “The situation she now finds herself in makes it impossible for her to discharge her duties in a responsible manner,” Skjelbred stated. Supporters of Juul have previously argued that her diplomatic work should be judged separately from her husband’s associations, noting her decades of service in volatile regions. However, critics point out that the sheer magnitude of the alleged financial link—$10 million—raises questions about the nature of the relationship that can no longer be dismissed as merely incidental or social. The Foreign Ministry has noted that the internal investigation will continue despite her resignation to ensure full transparency regarding state governance.
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