Diplomacy on the slopes boosts Swiss-Iran ties

As a fierce blizzard sweeps mountains outside Teheran, a team of elite Swiss ski instructors refuses to allow the deep freeze to stand in the way of warming ties with Iran.

"The conditions are ... interesting," laughed Vincent Pilet, a member of the Swiss team, as snow whipped sideways into the window of the cafe in Darbandsar resort, a two-hour drive from the Iranian capital.

He said he could handle the weather - the bigger challenge was dealing with the huge numbers of Iranians who had shown up to be tested by the visitors from Switzerland.