Switzerland Halts Weapons Exports to US Amid Ongoing Conflict in Iran

Switzerland Announces Export Restrictions for US Military Equipment

The Swiss government has announced that it will not issue licenses for companies to export weapons to the United States due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The decision is based on Switzerland’s longstanding principle of neutrality, which requires the country to assess exports of war materiel and related technology against human rights and neutrality principles.

According to a statement released by the government, exports of war materiel to countries involved in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorized for the duration of the conflict. This includes exports to the United States. The announcement comes as the US-Israeli military operation on Iran approaches its three-week mark, leading to a deepening humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and rising global energy prices.

The Swiss government has also closed its airspace to US military flights directly linked to the Iran war. In recent weeks, the country had rejected two US flyover requests for Iran-related war flights but permitted three others. The decision to restrict exports is part of a broader effort by Switzerland to uphold its neutrality law, which was approved in 1996.

Existing US licenses for exports of war materiel will now be subject to regular review by an expert group to assess whether they comply with the country’s neutrality principles. Exports of dual-use and specific military goods will also be reviewed regularly. The decision affects Switzerland’s second-largest importer of arms, the United States, which imported $119m worth of Swiss-made equipment last year.

Source: Al Jazeera