Switzerland’s former ambassador to Iran: here’s how to end this war — and why Pakistan isn’t enough

Philippe Welti served as Ambassador of Switzerland to Iran and, as protecting power, represented U.S. interests in Tehran. He is co-founder of Share-an-Ambassador, a geopolitical consultancy.

Given the failure of this weekend’s peace talks and President Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports, it seems increasingly likely that America and Iran may once again wage war in the skies above Tehran and Isfahan, on the waters of the Persian Gulf, and potentially on the ground too.

But this conflict will ultimately be ended not by bullets or bombs, but by backchannel diplomacy. And as Switzerland’s former ambassador to Iran — where I officially represented Washington’s interests in Tehran — I know what it’ll take for both nations to ink a peace deal.

For more than 150 years, Switzerland has served as a trusted go-between for countries without diplomatic ties, often acting as a “protecting power” and mediating between hostile governments. We first took on this responsibility during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 — the period from which the modern institution of protecting power originates. Since then, we’ve carried it into some of the world’s greatest conflicts, representing as many as 35 countries during World War II.

That depth of experience explains why Washington has consistently turned to Switzerland for diplomatic assistance. When the United States broke off relations with Cuba in 1961,........

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