Pushback against new tourist fee in South Iceland

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) will travel to Iceland on October 5. There, Rubio is set to meet with Icelandic politicians in Reykjavík to discuss cooperation on the economy and security.

The Secretary will then travel to Greece to lead the US delegation at the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, aiming to strengthen the partnership on key administration priorities, including defense cooperation as well as regional and energy security.

Afterwards, Rubio will travel to Lisbon to meet with Portuguese representatives and promote cooperation in the fields of defense, the economy, and technology.

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) has initiated legal proceedings against the Icelandic authorities.

In a press release, ESA states that it is reffering Iceland to the EFTA Court because, in ESA's assessment, Icelandic law has failed to adequately meet the country's obligations.

The case concerns Protocol 35 of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement, which requires Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein to ensure that EEA rules implemented in national law prevail over other conflicting national provisions.

ESA finds that Iceland has not established the legal safeguards necessary to ensure that individuals and companies can fully exercise their EEA rights.

ESA first raised concerns in 2012 and initiated infringement proceedings in 2017.

Since then, two different governments have announced legislative changes, and proposals have repeatedly been submitted to parliament, yet no legislation has been adopted.

It is now up to the EFTA Court to rule on the matter.

Next February, the Icelandic government will submit a bill to permanently ban whaling, according to Reuters.

The proposal has political and public support, and the government holds a majority in parliament.

If the ban is passed, Norway and Japan will be the only remaining countries in the world that continue commercial whaling.

During this year's season in Iceland, 80 fin whales were caught out of a quota of 150. The fin whale is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the proposal is grounded in ethical, veterinary, and conservation reasons.

Tourism in Finnish Lapland is growing rapidly, and tourism businesses are investing heavily to meet demand.

Apukka Resort in Rovaniemi has more than quintupled its revenue since 2022, reaching around €27 million, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle.

At the same time, the tourism industry fears that such rapid growth could come at the expense of quality.

According to Harri Mällinen, CEO of Apukka Resort, a poor visitor experience could lead tourists to choose other destinations.

"That is my biggest fear right now. If the quality does not remain high, it will reduce tourists’ interest in Lapland," she told Yle.

The industry is also vulnerable to global crises. The war in the Middle East, for example, led to a decline in visitors when airports in the region were closed.

This week, four Belgian F-16 fighter jets and personnel assumed the Iceland Air Defence responsibilities at Keflavík air station. The detachment will remain for a month-long deployment.

The mission was formerly known as Iceland Air Policing and focused mainly on protecting agaist crewed and uncrewed aircraft. With the transition to Air Defence, NATO can now respond more flexibly to a wider range of threats, using a layered, 360-degree approach across all operational domains, according to NATO Air Command.

"The Belgian Air Force’s assumption of this vital mission in Iceland marks a significant move to a single Integrated Air and Missile Defence posture,” says Major General Frank Gräfe, Chief of Staff for NATO Allied Air Command.

William "Billy" Long is the new US Ambassador to Iceland. Long presented his credentials to Icelandic President Halla Tómasdottir on Monday this week.

Long is from the state of Missouri and for 12 years he represented Missouri's 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Iceland and the United States share a long history of partnership, from security, defense, and business, to art, literature, and exploration," Ambassador Long said in a statement on the Embassy's Facebook page.

"I look forward to working alongside the people of Iceland to deepen our cooperation and strengthen the bonds between our two nations," he added.

Long was nominated by President Donald Trump to the position in September 2025.

Iceland's population reached 396,500 at the end of the second quarter of 2026, according to fresh figures from Statistics Iceland, which report an overall population increase of 1,450 people from the previous quarter.

The demographic breakdown shows that by the end of the quarter, the island was home to 203,080 men, 193,180 women, and 230 individuals identified as non-binary or other.

The growth was driven by both natural increase and net migration. A total of 1,130 children were born during the quarter, while 590 people died.

Total net migration reached 930 people, with more men emigrating than women during this period.

The Icelandic state was acquitted of the Icelandic tech company Vélfag's claim in the Supreme Court. The case of Ivan Nicolai Kaufmann, the company's majority owner, was dropped.

This according to Icelandic broadcaster RUV.

This is the first Icelandic company to be subject to trade sanctions in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Vélfag demanded that the Icelandic state reverse Arion Bank’s decision to freeze its assets. Last year, Vélfag became the first company to be subjected to economic sanctions due to alleged ties to the Russian shadow fleet. Vélfag has argued that the state, not the bank, should be the authority in this matter.

The ruling has not been published, and the reasoning is therefore unknown.

On Friday 19 June, the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel KV Hopen will leave Bergen, Norway, to carry out Operation Arctic Cohesion 2026.

This is an extensive, international expedition that will strengthen cooperation between Arctic coast guards, the Norwegian Armed Forces states in a press release.

The voyage marks the start of a two-month expedition through the North Atlantic, during which Norway, together with partners in Iceland, the United States, Canada and Greenland, will carry out a number of activities, exercises and professional exchanges.

Operation Arctic Cohesion 2026 is a key part of the Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF) collaboration, and will show how the coast guards in the Arctic cooperate in practice to safeguard safety, emergency preparedness and the environment in an increasingly active sea area.

"Security and emergency preparedness in the Arctic are created through practical cooperation. When coast guards from several nations train, sail and solve missions together, we strengthen our collective ability to ensure safety in some of the world's most demanding sea areas," says Deputy Commander of the Norwegian Coast Guard, Commander Ture Lehn.

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.

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.

In 2025, short-term rentals through Airbnb amounted to nearly NOK 1.4 billion in Tromsø, Lofoten, Bodø and Alta in Northern Norway.

This is an increase of 28 percent from the previous year, according to a new report from Kunnskapsbanken.

Tromsø dominates in the winter season, and singlehandedly accounted for NOK 905 million of the turnover, an increase of 36 percent from the previous year.

Lofoten is undisputedly the largest in the summer season and accounted for NOK 385 million, up from 338 million in 2024.

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.

According to a new survey, a majority of Icelanders describe the US as an adversary and not an ally, writes RÙV.

40% of respondents say they would describe the country as an adversary, 32% as an ally and 28% take no position or do not want to answer.

The younger people are, the more likely they are to regard the USA as an adversary. People living in the capital area are also more likely to see the USA this way than those in rural areas. Lower-income groups are slightly more likely than higher-income groups to regard the United States as an adversary, while higher earners are more likely to regard it as an ally.

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.