Gulf peace prospects, SpaceX shares lift off and digital sovereignty

A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket lifts off Keystone-SDA

Welcome to our press review of events in the United States. Every Wednesday we look at how the Swiss media have reported and reacted to three major stories in the US – in politics, finance and science.

The Swiss media is weighing up the likelihood of a lasting peace deal between the US and Iran. US tech companies are also grabbing attention: SpaceX for its IPO and Anthropic flipping the ‘kill switch’ for non-US users of its latest artificial intelligence model.

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Iran and the US are inching closer to peace Keystone

The Swiss mountain resort of Bürgenstock has been selected as the venue for the US and Iran to sign a commitment to undertake detailed peace negotiations. But it’s difficult to predict how this could result in enduring peace in the Middle East.

The Swiss press has an even harder time seeing the US emerging from the conflict as credible victors. “The only problem Trump solves is one he created himself”, reads a headline from the Tages Anzeiger, referring to the potential re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Several media see Israel, and its conflict against Hezbollah in Lebanon, as a potential barrier to peace between the US and Israel.

Le Temps points out that US President Donald Trump has recently referred to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “very difficult guy”.

“A legally binding international treaty would later have to be ratified by the US Congress, and there could be resistance, particularly from those US senators who support Israel,” Roland Popp, a researcher at the ETH Zurich Military Academy, told Swiss public broadcaster SRF.

In a separate SRF opinion piece, Sara Hellmüller, a research professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute, said “there are only losers” from the conflict. “Primarily, of course, the affected populations in Iran, but also in Lebanon, Israel, and the wider region.”

• Trump victory claims illusoryExternal link – Tages Anzeiger (German, paywall)
  
• Roland Popp analysisExternal link – SRF (German)
  
• Sara Hellmüller analysisExternal link – SRF (German)

Elon Musk celebrates the SpaceX IPO Keystone-SDA

Elon Musk’s sprawling company SpaceX hit the headlines by becoming the most successful stock market listing of all time. Most reporting focused on the vast sums of money raised ($85.7 billion, with the company’s valuation reaching nearly $3 trillion at one stage).

Swiss public broadcaster SRF believes Swiss space companies might receive knock-on benefits. “Dozens” of Swiss firms, such as Beyond Gravity and Maxon Motor, do business in this sector.

“These companies are generally not allowed to disclose that they work for SpaceX. However, it’s an open secret that several of them are suppliers for Elon Musk’s space company,” said SRF.

Space research as the federal institutes of technology and other universities has also attracted foreign space companies to set up shop in Switzerland. This includes US firm Axiom Space, which plans to establish its European headquarters in Lucerne.

“One thing is clear: if the space business continues to gain momentum, Switzerland will be at the forefront,” forecasts SRF.

What’s also clear to the Tages Anzeiger is that a relaxation of stock market rules is inviting more smaller shareholders to get in on the action.

“We will all soon feel the effects of the SpaceX hype. Pension funds will invest in SpaceX shares sooner or later. And so, these shares will find their way to you – whether you like it or not,” predicts the newspaper.

• SRF explains the likely SpaceX benefits for SwitzerlandExternal link (German)
  
• Swiss pension funds will invest in SpaceXExternal link – Tages Anzeiger (German, paywall)

Anthropic has flicked the kill switch on advanced AI models Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

The abrupt blackout of the latest artificial intelligence models by US company Anthropic has once again raised the topic of digital sovereignty in other countries, including Switzerland.

Anthropic has been forced by the US government to cut off foreign access to its most advanced Fable and Mythos systems. They are deemed so powerful that hackers could disable guardrails and wreak havoc with digital systems worldwide.

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung views the Anthropic kill switch order as part of a wider problem. “In an emergency, Washington recognises no allies and is prepared to cut off the rest of the world from cutting-edge American technology,” said the newspaper.

“For the rest of the world, the logical conclusion should be clear: American AI companies are fundamentally unreliable.”

One answer is to switch to open-source AI models that operate independently from government control. China has built the best examples of open-source AI, the newspaper states.

“A scenario in which companies worldwide switch to Chinese AI would be a disaster for Washington. American politicians and entrepreneurs have been talking for years about an AI race with China that the USA absolutely must win,” writes NZZ.

• Giving China an AI edgeExternal link – NZZ (German, paywall)
  
• Switzerland’s digital sovereignty challengeExternal link – Le Temps (French, paywall)
  
• Tages Anzeiger analyses the Anthropic blackoutExternal link (German, paywall)

The next edition of ‘Swiss views of US news’ will be published on Wednesday, June 24. See you then!

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