United States seeks copy of Iran gas contract

The United States has increased pressure on Switzerland following the signature of a gas export deal between Swiss and Iranian companies.

After the contract was signed in Tehran on March 17, the US embassy in Bern officially requested a copy. The embassy originally asked for a copy of the contract in June 2007, according to information published on its website.

“As of now, we have not received a response to our request for a copy of the contract,” the question and answer statement dated Friday said.

The US intends to examine whether the deal between the private Swiss firm, EGL, and the National Iranian Gas Export Company violates UN sanctions against Iran.

In a related development, the president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, has criticised the Swiss deal as “shabby” and described Calmy-Rey’s foreign policy as “flawed”.

In an editorial on the WJC’s website, Lauder commented that it was making Switzerland a hostage to countries that, rather than respect human rights, paid merely lip service to them.

“The concept of Swiss neutrality has a long tradition, but Switzerland’s credibility as an honest broker in international diplomacy has been badly bruised,” Lauder wrote.

Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey has defended the Swiss move, pointing out that the natural gas accord breached neither UN nor US sanctions, which forbid any investment in Iran’s oil and gas sector worth more than $20 million (SFr20 million).

Switzerland represents Washington’s interests in Iran and Tehran’s interests in the US.