• Mona Juul resigns as Norway's ambassador after links to Jeffrey Epstein come to light.
• The Norwegian police have initiated a corruption investigation involving Juul and her husband, Terje Rod-Larsen.
• Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated Juul's decision was necessary due to a "serious lapse in judgment."
• Investigations are examining possible benefits Juul may have received in her diplomatic role.
• Other prominent figures in Norway, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit, are also under scrutiny for Epstein-related connections.

Norway's ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, Mona Juul, has resigned following revelations of her ties to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This decision was announced by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry on Sunday after Juul was temporarily suspended pending an internal investigation concerning her connections with Epstein, who died in 2019. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described her contact with Epstein as a "serious lapse in judgment" that undermined the trust placed in her role, according to SCMP and Los Angeles Times.

The investigation, which was officially confirmed by the Norwegian police, involves allegations of gross corruption against both Juul and her husband, former minister Terje Rod-Larsen. The police's financial crimes unit Oekokrim stated that their probe incorporates the possibility that Juul may have received illicit benefits in connection with her diplomatic position. Investigators are also assessing the couple's financial dealings and past communications, according to Le Monde and Reuters.

Juul's association with Epstein was highlighted particularly by the revelation that Epstein left $10 million in his will to Juul's children. The couple's ties traced back to their roles in the Oslo Accords, and this recent scrutiny follows fresh disclosures from the Epstein case files. Juul, having initially downplayed her connections to Epstein, acknowledged that her contact with him was not as minimal as she had previously claimed, emphasizing it was derived from her husband’s relationship with Epstein, as reported by Los Angeles Times and Reuters.

Norway’s political and royal spheres are also becoming entangled in the controversy; other notable figures such as Crown Princess Mette-Marit and former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland are under investigation for their past relationships with Epstein. Mette-Marit has expressed deep regret over her connection to Epstein. In light of these developments, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has indicated support for forming an independent commission to comprehensively investigate these links, according to Le Monde and Reuters.