"Felt the pressure wave in the bunker" Swiss ambassador narrowly escapes air attack - but remains in Israel
The Swiss ambassador narrowly escaped disaster in a missile attack on Tel Aviv. While Switzerland is scaling back its presence in Tehran, the representation in Israel remains on duty.
19.06.2025, 12:28
19.06.2025, 12:29
SDA
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- The Swiss ambassador to Israel, Simon Geissbühler, survived an Iranian missile attack in the immediate vicinity in Tel Aviv unharmed.
- Switzerland is keeping its embassy in Israel open, but is constantly adapting its security measures and has evacuated some staff from Tehran.
- The Iranian government summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, while talks between Iran and European foreign ministers are due to take place in Geneva on Friday.
The Swiss ambassador to Israel, Simon Geissbühler, narrowly escaped the latest Iranian airstrikes. A missile hit in the immediate vicinity of his residential building in Tel Aviv. However, Geissbühler was unharmed.
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) confirmed the incident on Thursday morning. However, the ambassador was not injured. The head office is in constant contact with the Swiss embassy in Tel Aviv, the FDFA said in response to a request from the Keystone-SDA news agency.
Geissbühler himself also announced that he was safe. "However, the hit in the immediate vicinity was massive. We could even feel the blast wave in our permanent bunker," the diplomat wrote on the social media platform Linkedin.
"Complete destruction"
Geissbühler went on to say that he had just been close to the impact site. He had encountered "complete destruction". The rescue work was continuing. Dozens of ambulances are on site. "My sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the injured."
According to the latest information, more than 20 rockets hit Israel on Thursday morning, several of them in the greater Tel Aviv area. According to the emergency services, at least 65 people were injured. Three were seriously injured and rescued from the rubble.
Crisis plan under constant review
The Swiss representation in Israel has so far been operating as normal. So far on Tuesday, two accompanying persons (children or spouses) of the embassy staff have left the country. The situation is different in Tehran, where the FDFA has reduced its presence due to the current situation. Five so-called transferable employees were taken out of the country on Wednesday.
All Swiss representations abroad have security and crisis plans in place, the FDFA wrote in response to the question of how employees are protected in the Middle East conflict. These would be reviewed and adapted on an ongoing basis. "The plans also include emergency plans," the FDFA continued.
The FDFA was not more specific, but conceded that the army could also be called in. Specialists from Reconnaissance Detachment 10 could be deployed to support security and crisis management.
Ambassador summoned by Iran
Swiss Ambassador Nadine Olivieri Lozano is still on the ground in Tehran, along with others. She was summoned again by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday evening. The FDFA confirmed the summons on Thursday, which was in connection with the protecting power mandate for American interests in the country.
The FDFA did not wish to provide further details "for reasons of confidentiality". According to the French news agency AFP, Iran protested against "irresponsible and threatening statements" by Donald Trump, citing a report by Iranian state television. Switzerland has represented the interests of the USA in Iran since 1980.
Talks in Geneva on Friday
According to the FDFA, a meeting is scheduled for Friday in Geneva between the foreign ministers of Iran and those of Germany, France and the UK without the participation of official Switzerland.
The talks are welcomed, the FDFA stated. The resumption of the dialog is of crucial importance.
