American intelligence officials examined a suspected directed-energy weapon linked to so-called Havana syndrome at a secure facility in Norway last year, according to a report in The Washington Post, in what represents the most significant development in the investigation since the mysterious ailment first affected US diplomats in Cuba in 2016.
The device analysis, which involved experts from both the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon's Defence Intelligence Agency, was conducted at a classified location in Norway during mid-2025, according to multiple current and former US officials who spoke to the Post on condition of anonymity. Reuters confirmed key details of the account through independent reporting.
To understand today's headlines, we must look at yesterday's decisions. For years, US intelligence agencies have been divided over whether Havana syndrome—characterized by sudden onset of vertigo, severe headaches, cognitive difficulties, and in some cases lasting neurological damage—was caused by deliberate attacks, environmental factors, or psychogenic illness. The existence of an actual device under examination would fundamentally shift those assessments.
The Washington Post reported that the weapon was "acquired through intelligence channels" but did not specify how it came into American possession or whether it was captured, provided by an ally, or obtained through other means. The device reportedly uses pulsed radiofrequency energy or directed microwave radiation, technologies that have been studied by both Russian and Chinese military laboratories.
More than 1,500 US government personnel have reported symptoms consistent with Havana syndrome since 2016, with incidents documented in Cuba, China, Austria, Germany, Vietnam, and even in Washington near the White House complex. Several CIA officers suffered debilitating injuries that ended their careers.
Previous investigations, including a 2022 CIA assessment and a 2023 National Intelligence Council review, concluded that most cases could be explained by environmental factors, pre-existing conditions, or conventional illnesses. However, both reports acknowledged that a subset of cases involving intelligence officers abroad remained unexplained and could potentially involve foreign adversaries.
The decision to analyse the device in Norway, rather than on US soil, likely reflects security protocols governing the examination of potentially hostile weapons systems and concerns about operational security. Norway shares a 196-kilometre border with Russia and maintains sophisticated intelligence cooperation with Washington through NATO channels.
Neither the CIA nor the Pentagon would confirm the Post's reporting. CIA spokesperson Tammy Thorp said the agency "does not comment on intelligence matters." The Norwegian Defence Ministry declined to respond to queries.
However, the report has prompted renewed attention from Congressional oversight committees. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who has long advocated for victims of Havana syndrome, said in a statement that "if intelligence agencies have been examining an actual weapon, Congress and the American people deserve full transparency about what they have learned."
Victims' advocates expressed frustration that analysis of the device had not been made public sooner. Mark Zaid, an attorney representing numerous affected personnel, told reporters that "our clients have been told for years that there was no evidence of a weapon, yet apparently one has been under study by our own government."
The technical specifications of directed-energy weapons capable of producing Havana syndrome symptoms have been the subject of intense debate. While high-powered microwave systems exist and have been demonstrated in military contexts, deploying such weapons covertly—without detection by signals intelligence or leaving physical evidence—presents substantial technical challenges.
A 2020 study by the National Academies of Sciences concluded that pulsed radiofrequency energy was the "most plausible mechanism" for the core set of symptoms, though the report noted significant uncertainties. Russian and Soviet research into microwave weapons dates to the 1960s, and US intelligence has documented ongoing Chinese military interest in directed-energy systems.
The revelation comes at a particularly sensitive moment in US-Russia relations, with Moscow already under extensive Western sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. The Trump administration has not publicly attributed Havana syndrome to any specific nation, though previous reporting has suggested that Russia was considered the primary suspect by some intelligence officials.
If confirmed, the existence and analysis of such a weapon would raise profound questions about the rules of engagement in modern espionage and the willingness of adversaries to inflict permanent physical harm on intelligence officers—a norm that, until recently, was largely respected even during the Cold War.
