More Icelanders see USA as adversary than ally

On Thursday, the US nuclear-powered submarine USS Oregon will make a brief stop in Icelandic waters off Reykjanes to receive supplies and exchange crew members.

This is the ninth time a US submarine has made a service stop in Icelandic territorial waters since such visits were permitted by Iceland in 2023.

The USS Oregon is a Virginia-class attack submarine and does not carry nuclear weapons, according to the Icelandic government.

A report prepared for the Ministry of Finance on Iceland’s currency options has been published and discussed by the Central Bank governor, its lead author, and the Minister, reports RUV.

“The report authors’ assessment is that it would be a promising option for Iceland to adopt the euro if we choose to join the European Union,” says Daði Már Kristófersson, the Minister of Finance, about a report prepared for his ministry on Iceland’s options in currency matters.

Various politicians have argued agains the Euro-issue.

Icelanders will go to the polls on 29 August to vote on continuing accession talks with the European Union.

That is reported by Ruv.is.

Alþingi, the Icelandic Parliament, approved the foreign minister’s parliamentary resolution proposal by 34 votes to 8, last week, on Thursday afternoon.

The [directly translated, ed. note] question on the ballot paper will be: “Should Iceland begin again accession negotiations with the European Union?” reports RUV.

The foreign minister’s parliamentary resolution proposal, that a referendum be held on resuming EU accession talks, had to be approved by Thursday at the latest, in order for it to be possible to hold the vote on 29 August.

Eight US senators and their staff visited the Norwegian Arctic archipelago Svalbard last weekend. This is reported by Svalbardposten, among others.

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski led the delegation, which was invited by UiT, the Arctic University of Norway.

"We are here with a bipartisan message about the importance of our allies, and Norway is obviously one of them. The challenges in the Arctic are enormous, the Arctic is an enormous region, and the United States cannot solve everything alone. It is important that we can work together with our allies to solve the challenges we have in the Arctic," Shaheen tells the newspaper.

According to Svalbardposten, the agenda included a presentation of Arctic climate research, as well as visits to Isfjord Radio and UNIS - the university centre in Svalbard.

"When we see the Arctic warming and new dangers emerging in the Arctic, it is very important for us to get a better understanding of what those challenges are and to ensure that we have a bipartisan understanding of what the United States can do," says Shaheen.

A new opinion poll from Iceland shows that more Icelanders oppose EU membership than are in favor, writes RUV Iceland.

According to the poll, 47% of the population is against Iceland joining the EU, while 40% are positive. Thirteen percent are undecided.

When only those who actually take a position are counted, 54% are against Iceland joining the EU, compared to 46% in favor, the survey suggests.

Support has fallen by four percentage points, from 44 percent in April last year, while opposition has increased by eleven points from 36 percent in the same period.

This year's physical edition of the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable (ASFR) was held in Iceland at the end of March.

The forum – co-chaired by Norway and the US European Command – brings together senior military leaders from the seven allied Arctic states, as well as from the observer states of France, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Also present were representatives of the US Northern Command and NATO JFC Norfolk, which has now been granted permanent observer status in ASFR.

The military leaders exchanged views on security challenges in the Arctic, with a focus on building shared situational awareness and coordinated approaches to deterrence and defense in the region. The NATO Arctic Sentry initiative was highlighted in this context.

They also visited Keflavík Air Station and gained insight into Iceland's defense-related roles and responsibilities. Last year's conference took place in Kirkenes, Northern Norway.

There are no signs that the eruption sequence on Sundhnúksgígaröð, on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, is coming to an end - despite the slow speed of magma accumulation, RUV reports.

Magma intrusions and eruptions remain the most likely scenario on the Reykjanes Peninsula, according to a statement from Veðurstofa Íslands (Icelandic Meteorological Office) issued alongside a new hazard assessment for the area, valid until June.

A number of people were unable to reach their destinations in Iceland due to severe weather and poor road conditions last night.

That is reported by RÙV.

It is estimated that about 350 people are in emergency shelters and a considerable number are staying elsewhere. Many roads are still impassable and an uncertainty level due to avalanche risk remains in effect.

The US hospital ship USNS Mercy has left the shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. On Wednesday morning, the tracking service MarineTraffic showed that the ship is in the Gulf of Mexico.

This happened shortly after Donald Trump stated that a hospital ship was heading to Greenland.

However, it is not known where the ship is going, but MarineTraffic states Mobile as its destination.

According to the shipping media outlet Maritime Executive, the ship is on its way to Portland, Oregon, and will take at least 20 days to transit the Panama Canal and up the west coast of the United States. They further state that the ship will undergo repairs in Oregon in March.

According to Danish TV2, this is the first time the vessel has left port since August 3rd last year.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked Russian aircrafts operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on February 19, the command informs in a press release.

The Russian aircrafts were two Tu-95s, two Su-35s, and one A-50.

NORAD launched two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3, and four KC-135s to intercept, positively identify, and escort the aircraft until they departed the Alaskan ADIZ.

"The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat," NORAD states in the press release.

Heavy storms in recent weeks have caused extensive soil erosion at Reynisfjara, one of Iceland's most famous tourist beaches. The sea has washed right up to the characteristic basalt columns, and large boulders are now scattered across the beach - rocks that were not there before.

Residents tell the Icelandic newspaper Visir that they have never seen such changes before. Experts believe that persistent easterly winds have moved large amounts of sand, and expect some of it to return. It is still uncertain whether Reynisfjara will regain its original shape.