Senior Swiss embassy official in Iran dies in high-rise fall

The official lived on the 18th floor of a residential building in Tehran. Keystone / Abedin Taherkenareh

The woman fell from her residential apartment building in Tehran on Tuesday, according to local reports. Iranian police have announced an investigation into the woman's death.

The Iranian ILNA news agency said she lived on the 18th floor of a building in the north of the capital city. She was 52 years old and the second-highest ranking employee at the Swiss embassy in Iran, according to the news agency.   

When contacted by SWI swissinfo.ch, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) confirmed the reports of the woman’s death. 

“The FDFA and its head, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, are shocked by the tragic death and offer their deepest condolences to the family,” a spokesperson told swissinfo.ch.

The department is in contact with the family of the deceased and the Swiss embassy is in touch with the local authorities. The FDFA did not provide any details about the circumstances surrounding the death of its employee citing “data protection and personal privacy” reasons.  

Switzerland exercises a so-called protecting power mandate in Iran, where it has represented US diplomatic interests since Washington and Tehran cut ties shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.  

Last  September, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis visited Iran to strengthen ties and to mark 100 years of Swiss diplomatic presence in Tehran. His visit also coincided with 40 years of representing US interests in the country.