Switzerland suspends arms exports to US over Iran war

Switzerland on Friday said it would not issue licences for ​companies to export weapons to the United ‌States due to the ongoing attacks on Iran, citing the country's neutrality, Reuters reports.

"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 said in a statement.

"Exports of war materiel to the ​USA cannot currently be authorised," it added.

Last weekend, the ​Swiss government said it had rejected two U.S. flyover requests on Iran-related war flights but permitted three others, also citing Switzerland's ​neutrality law.

Following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in ​2003, Switzerland imposed bans on flights over Swiss airspace and weapons ‌exports ⁠to countries involved in the war. It later lifted them.

On Friday, the government said that since the Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran on February 28, ​no new licences ​had been ⁠issued for exports of war materiel to the United States.

It noted that no ​definitive licences for export of war materiel ​to ⁠Israel have been granted for several years.

The government said a group of experts would regularly review developments on ⁠exports ​of the relevant goods to ​the U.S. and assess whether steps are required under neutrality law.