Switzerland serves as a “courier” between Tehran and Washington
Published: Monday, Apr 15th 2024, 11:30
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Switzerland acts as a courier between the USA and Iran. During the Iranian attack on Israel at the weekend, the USA remained in contact with Iran through information passed on from Switzerland.
Switzerland has represented American interests in Iran since the hostage-taking at the US embassy in Tehran in 1980. As a protecting power, it enables the two countries to maintain a minimum of diplomatic and consular relations, as the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) writes on its website.
Bern takes over some of the tasks of the regular representation and thus ensures the consular protection of US citizens in Iran. The Foreign Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran handles all US consular matters in Iran, including passport applications, civil status changes and consular protection of US citizens.
Mediating in the exchange of prisoners
In keeping with its tradition of good offices, Switzerland also plays a mediating role. In recent years, for example, it has helped with the exchange of prisoners between Iran and the USA on several occasions. For its part, Iran's interests in the USA are represented by Pakistan.
The federal government also represents Iranian interests in Egypt and Canada. In addition, it temporarily represented Iran's interests in Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia's interests in Iran from May 2018.
One year ago, on March 10, 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia announced in a trilateral agreement with China that they intended to resume diplomatic relations within two months. Tehran subsequently terminated Switzerland's mandate to represent its interests in Saudi Arabia as of August 2023. Riyadh, on the other hand, has not yet formally terminated the mandate.
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