The establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iceland occurred on September 30, 1941, when Lincoln MacVeagh presented his credentials and elevated the then-American Consulate to Legation status. On November 3, 1955, the American Legation was further elevated to Embassy status, with John J. Muccio serving as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.[1]
The U.S. Mission was previously housed in a building purchased by the Department of State in 1947 for the American Legation. This building, along with adjacent structures, served as the mission's home for over half a century. Throughout this time, it underwent various renovations and received technological upgrades.[2]
In August 2011, the embassy received an email from Sigurdur Thordarson, an Icelandic citizen, requesting a confidential meeting to discuss an ongoing U.S. investigation of WikiLeaks. This correspondence marked the beginning of Thordarson's journey as an informant, a role that later gained significant attention in the context of the investigation into WikiLeaks and its activities.[3][4][5]
In 2020, the embassy moved to a new location on Engjateigur. This pre-existing building was upgraded at a cost of $62 million.[6][7]
‡ Missions which are located in countries or cities that may be considered a part of more than one continent
1 Consulates-General which function as an embassy (ie. consul reports to State Department, not the respective country's ambassador)
2 The American Institute in Taiwan is ostensibly a public, non-profit organization to promote US-Taiwanese relations, but through State Department staffing & assistance, functions as an informal US diplomatic mission.
