The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) recommends that Swiss nationals leave Iran and Lebanon, as tension increases in the region. But unlike other countries, the Confederation is not planning evacuations.
In a tweet sent on Wednesday, the FDFA urges the Swiss to leave the country on their own, if this seems possible and safe. It also advises against travel to Iran, a recommendation that has not changed.
According to the FDFA, 179 Swiss nationals resided in Iran in 2022. This recommendation also applies to the 1,200 Swiss nationals in Lebanon.
External content
This external content cannot be displayed because it may collect personal data. To view this content you must authorize the category Social networks.
Accept Plus d’info
The Swiss embassy in Tehran is operational and its staff is doing well, the FDFA said. All Swiss representations abroad have security and crisis systems which are constantly checked and adapted. These also include contingency plans.
“No emergency” for the Confederation
Contacted by Forum, DFAE spokesperson Nicolas Bideau believes that there is no emergency. “We have indeed received a few telephone calls, a few visits to the embassy from people asking about the possibilities of leaving the country, but this is nothing like what we have experienced in other countries, like Sudan , when Khartoum was in the middle of the fighting […] It is not our role to evacuate these people. We sense concern on their part, but not urgency,” he said.
The Confederation is therefore focusing on raising awareness. It also advises against all travel to Lebanon and recommends that the Swiss leave the country. But leaving by air is becoming more and more complicated. The Swiss company, for example, announced that it was suspending its flights to Beirut until the end of November.
By sea, or by land
According to the DFA, there are other ways to leave Lebanon. “There are still boats leaving the country, there are certain possibilities by land. But that is once again the responsibility of our nationals, apart from those who work for the Confederation, for whom we we have a crisis system in place,” explains Nicolas Bideau.
As a reminder, Israel’s promise to respond to the massive missile attack carried out by Iran on Tuesday raises fears of a new escalation in the Middle East.
>> Our monitoring of the situation in the Middle East: Iran threatens to hit Israel’s ‘all infrastructure’ in response to missile attack
jfe
#Swiss
