War or not? People in Tehran clear up after a US-Israeli airstrike.Image: keystone
Since Friday, the Federal Council has classified the dispute between the USA and Israel and Iran as a war. That doesn’t suit the economy – it fears for the export business.
March 16, 2026, 05:26March 16, 2026, 05:26
One word suddenly changed everything.
Since last Friday, the Federal Council has officially described the dispute between the USA/Israel and Iran as a “war”. But the government did not want to communicate this momentous decision aggressively. There was no active information – neither oral nor written. Federal President and Economics Minister Guy Parmelin (SVP) as well as Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (FDP) did not let anything show at the Federal Council press conference on Friday. When asked by a journalist whether the Federal Council had discussed the application of neutrality law with regard to arms deliveries and overflights, Cassis evaded:
“Switzerland has perpetual and armed neutrality.”
Clarity only came later on Friday when SRF asked Federal Council spokeswoman Nicole Lamon. The Vice Chancellor announced the government’s new stance:
“There is war between USA/Israel and Iran.”
The requirements regarding the intensity and duration of the hostilities are met and the law of neutrality applies in relation to these states.
“War” and its consequences
With the word “war” the situation suddenly changed. Arms exports to warring countries are prohibited under neutrality law. Military overflights of states involved in the war may no longer be permitted. Humanitarian and medical transits as well as overflights that have nothing to do with the war are permitted.
This caused a hustle and bustle in Federal Bern on Friday afternoon. The federal government had five requests for US military aircraft to fly over Swiss airspace. What now? Did the overflights have to be banned and the requests rejected?
Albert Rösti’s Uvek transport department or the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) located there is responsible for overflights. On Friday, the Uvek developed a basis for the decision, including a co-reporting procedure for the entire Federal Council. After a special meeting via telephone conference, the Federal Council announced on Saturday: “Two requests in the context of the war in Iran are rejected, a maintenance flight and two overflight requests for transport aircraft are approved.”
The government rejected two overflights by reconnaissance aircraft, citing the law of neutrality. It has approved one maintenance flight and two overflights by transport aircraft. The Federal Council also formulated criteria for future applications: flights “that are comprehensibly not related to the conflict must be approved”. Flights would not be approved if “they normally exceed the Courant and it cannot be determined what the purpose of these overflights is”.
Neutrality against economic interests
In the Federal Council, the fronts run roughly along two lines. Foreign Minister Cassis insists on the consistent application of neutrality law. Economics Minister Parmelin doesn’t want to go too far out of consideration for the economy – especially in relation to the USA. “There are tensions between the law of neutrality and economic interests,” says one observer.
Cassis’ department believes the term “war” is correct.Image: keystone
Rösti is also more likely to belong to the parmelin camp. It is said that the other members of the government, including Defense Minister Martin Pfister (center), want to strictly apply the law of neutrality.
The tug of war doesn’t end there. The economy is putting pressure on the Federal Council. The fact that the government is now talking about “war” doesn’t sit well with many people. In “SonntagsBlick” Stefan Brupbacher, director of the industry association Swissmem and former secretary general of the economics department, criticized:
“The Federal Council made a hasty decision – without necessity, driven by the media and politics.”
He demands that exports to the USA continue to be permitted.
The Federal Council as a whole will soon decide what happens next with arms exports, as Cassis said at the media conference. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) is tasked with preparing a basis for a decision for one of the next meetings. Again it’s about neutrality versus economy. Above all, the business community is concerned not to provoke US President Trump into new retaliatory measures against Switzerland.
The debate about overflight rights and arms deliveries to warring states is not new. During the Iraq War in 2003, Federal President Pascal Couchepin (FDP) and Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey (SP) clashed: the former Economics Minister wanted to authorize US overflights. Calmy-Rey successfully insisted on strict adherence to neutrality. As today, the Federal Council only approved overflights under certain conditions. (aargauerzeitung.ch)