Martin Pfister

Swiss Defence Minister

Appears in 1 story

Office: Member of the Swiss Federal Council

Born: July 31, 1963, Zug

Education: University of Fribourg

Previous offices: Councillor of State of Zug, Member of the Cantonal Council of Zug

Last updated Nov 2, 2026

Stories

US allies refuse to join Iran war as arms bans and airspace closures spread

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Announced the arms export ban and airspace restrictions

Switzerland sold $119 million in arms to the United States in 2025 before halting all new orders on March 20, 2026, and closing its airspace to US military flights linked to the Iran war. Italy followed on March 22 with a suspension of new US arms export licenses. On March 30, Spain closed its airspace and blocked US military base use for Iran war operations, citing violations of international law.

Updated May 30