A building hit by Israeli air strikes north of Tehran on June 13, 2025. Israel confirmed it has launched strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program.
Keystone
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The ambassador in Tehran was summoned by Iranian authorities on Friday in the framework of Switzerland’s protecting power mandate for the US.
Switzerland represents US diplomatic interests in Iran, and as such ambassador Nadine Olivieri was called in by Iranian authorities, confirmed Alexandre Fasel, state secretary at the Swiss foreign ministry, at a press conference in Bern on Friday.
“All Swiss personnel in the region affected by the military attack launched by Israel against Iran during the night are safe,” said for his part the Swiss foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis.
“The Federal Council discussed the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East this afternoon,” Cassis said, adding that the cabinet would monitor the situation closely and seek dialogue with all partners involved.
There are currently around 200 Swiss citizens living in Iran and 29,000 in Israel, Cassis said.
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Iran-Israel tensions: Switzerland’s role as an intermediary is shrinking
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Despite its protecting power mandate for the United States in Iran, Switzerland lacks influence to de-escalate tensions in the region.
The situation in the region continues to destabilise. Cassis expressed his concern and condemned the use of force contrary to United Nations and international principles and called on all parties to refrain from further escalations.
Cassis – who visited Israel and the West Bank this week – also pointed out that in Tehran, the alarm was triggered immediately before the attack, so that personnel were able to take cover. The minister also emphasised that only the US had a broader picture of military operations.
Cassis then stated that during his visit to Israel he had in no way anticipated the country’s intentions to launch attacks on Iran, which were carried out on the night of Wednesday to Thursday.
On his return from his diplomatic trip to the Middle East, Cassis said he was very pessimistic about the resolution of the various ongoing conflicts in the region. He came back practically hopeless, he admitted. “This conflict is so complex that perhaps the only solution is to break it down into its individual problems,” he said on Friday.
Translated from Italian by DeepL/dos
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