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Due to the war in Iran, the Swiss government is no longer authorising any new arms exports to the United States. Existing licences and exports of other goods will be regularly reviewed by a group of experts.

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The government made its decision at its meeting on Friday. It based its decision on Switzerland’s neutrality and the provisions of the War Materiel Act.

“The export of war materiel to countries involved in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorised for the duration of the conflict,” the government wrote in a statementExternal link.

Defence Minister Martin Pfister said the Swiss government did not fear a backlash from US President Donald Trump. The government’s application of the law of neutrality comes as no surprise to foreign countries, Pfister said at a press conference on the 2026 Armed Forces Dispatch in Bern in response to questions from journalists. “The US knows the maxims of Swiss foreign policy.”

In initial reactions to the government’s decision, the industry association Swissmem spoke of a “premature statement of neutrality”. For the left-wing Social Democratic Party the decision did not go far enough, while the right-wing Swiss People’s Party reckons the government had no other choice.

+ Switzerland refuses two US requests for flyovers linked to Iran war

Regular reviews

In practice, the decision concerns the US. “No definitive licences for the export of war materiel to Israel have been granted for a number of years,” the government said. The same applies to Iran. According to the statement, no new licences have been issued for exports of war materiel to the US since the US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran began on February 28.

According to the statement, the existing licences can continue to be used. According to the government, it has come to the conclusion that they have no relevance to the war against Iran. However, a group of experts with representatives from the economics ministry, the foreign ministry and the defence ministry “will regularly review developments in exports of the goods in question to the US and assess whether any action is required under neutrality law”.

+ As Middle East conflict rages, Swiss tradition of uniting adversaries is changing

The group of experts will also examine exports of goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, as well as specific military goods such as training aircraft or military simulators. There are also plans to review exports of goods that do not fall into this category but are affected by sanctions against Iran. “A restrictive approach is already in place with regard to Israel,” the government said.

According to international law expert Evelyne Schmid from the University of Lausanne, it would be legally possible to stop transactions that are already underway. “The legal basis for precisely such cases stipulates that the authorities can also revert to authorisations that have already been granted. It can suspend them, it can even revoke them,” Schmid told Swiss public television SRF on Thursday.

Adapted from German by AI/ts

The fatal fall of a cable car gondola on Wednesday in central Switzerland was due to “an unexpectedly strong gust of wind”, according to its manufacturer. The gust blew the cabin against a pylon. The impact unhooked it from the support cable.

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At the time of the accident, the wind was strong and blustery,” Arno Inauer, managing director of the Zug company Garaventa, which built the Titlis Xpress eight-seater gondolas, wrote to the media on Friday. The checks carried out since Wednesday show that the installation in question was in perfect technical condition,” he said.

The gondola fell on a snow-covered slope after the intermediate station of Trübsee (1,800m), on its way up to the upper station of Stan (2,430m). It rolled several times after the fall. Its sole occupant, a 61-year-old woman from the region, did not survive.

+ One dead after gondola cabin plunges in Swiss resort of Engelberg

The upper section of the Titlis Xpress has been closed since the accident until further notice. The parallel cable car linking Trübsee to Stand will ensure transport on this route.

On Thursday parliamentarian Hans Wicki, chairman of the board of directors of the Engelberg mountain railways, told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper that just before the accident, employees working on the Titlis Xpress had begun to suspend operations because of the wind. They were putting the gondolas in a storage area when one of the gondolas still in service fell.

Adapted from French by AI/ts

Switzerland’s Federal Council plans to invest about CHF 3.4bn to strengthen the army, with a focus on long-range threats and cyberwarfare. On Friday it presented its latest army plan to parliament, which includes additional borrowing of roughly CHF 500m. A further CHF 562m is earmarked for modernising military infrastructure and improving noise protection.

Presented by the defence minister, Martin Pfister, the plan prioritises ground-based air defence, protection against drones and expanded capabilities in cyberspace. The government has reprioritised, Mr Pfister said, to address the most likely threats: long-range attacks and hybrid conflict.

Russia’s war in Ukraine, the government argues, marks a turning-point in European security and underscores the need to refocus on territorial defence and the protection of critical infrastructure. The conflict involving Iran, Mr Pfister added, also has implications for Europe.

He said sustained investment was essential. Ensuring Switzerland’s security over the next decade will require around CHF 31bn, partly financed by a temporary increase in value-added tax. Switzerland is currently not adequately protected against the most likely forms of threat, he said, adding that neutrality demands stronger defensive capabilities.

Air defence takes priority
Most of the funding will go to air defence. The government plans to spend CHF 1bn on additional IRIS-T SLM systems to extend defence coverage and better protect critical infrastructure. A further CHF 800m will replace ageing short-range air-defence systems. To improve surveillance, the existing tactical radar will be replaced by a semi-mobile medium-range system, at a cost of CHF 150m.

The Federal Council also intends to spend CHF 70m on new systems to counter small drones, which are increasingly seen as a threat to both military units and civilian infrastructure.

Expanding cyber and space capabilities
Two further programmes aim to improve resilience. Around CHF 30m will be invested in space-based capabilities to enhance situational awareness. Another CHF 100m will go towards expanding access to civilian data networks, helping to maintain command-and-control functions in a crisis. In addition, CHF 240m is allocated to strengthen electronic-warfare capabilities in cyberspace and the electromagnetic domain.

Equipment and fighter jets
Across the armed forces, new personal weapons will be procured at a cost of CHF 50m. The government is also seeking an additional CHF 394m for the purchase of F-35A fighter jets, citing higher costs due to inflation but insisting the programme remains within the financial limits approved by voters. Switzerland is now expected to acquire only 30 aircraft.

More on this:
Government press release (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now

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