On Monday, the spokeswoman for the US embassy in Bern said Washington had told the Swiss that "major new oil and gas deals with Iran send precisely the wrong message at a time when Iran continues to defy UN Security Council resolutions requiring it to suspend enrichment-related and reprocessing activities."
Lisbeth Keefe said the US also was studying whether the deal violates the US Iran Sanctions Act.
"But we believe the deal in any case violates the spirit of the sanctions," she said.
The deal has come under close scrutiny because of the sanctions imposed on Tehran by the UN Security Council over concerns about Iran's nuclear and missile program. The Iranian government says it only wants to produce atomic energy for peaceful use, but the US and Israel accuse it of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Calmy-Rey defended her trip to Iran, where she met hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and witnessed the signing of the gas accord.
The agreement was a success for diplomacy and business, she said, adding that Switzerland did much to bring the deal to fruition and so it was right for her to be at the signing.
She said the accord was approved by the Foreign Ministry and EGL experts. The US was informed of the deal ahead of time.
Discussions in Tehran also focused on human rights and Iran's atomic program, Calmy-Rey said, adding that Switzerland is working to find a diplomatic solution on the nuclear question. She said that she stressed in conversations that any rhetoric denying the right of Israel to exist was unacceptable for Switzerland.
Nevertheless, the neutral country's Jewish umbrella organization declared itself disappointed with the Swiss position. The Swiss Federation of Jewish communities said it respected that Switzerland wants to diversify its gas supply, but said the country has sent a wrong signal to the world.
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