Character

Von Rutte

diplomatic circumspect dutiful composed

Von Rutte acts as the Swiss Ambassador who meets Leo McGarry in his office to relay Tehran's urgent request for a U.S. surgeon to perform a simultaneous heart-and-lung transplant on the Ayatollah's teenage son. He outlines the political sensitivities, noting the Ayatollah's distance through intermediaries and scrutiny from Iranian hardliners. This intervention pulls the White House into a dilemma balancing humanitarian aid against geopolitical risks in U.S.-Iran relations, with a potential non-American donor available.

2 appearances

Von Rutte's Journey

A timeline through the narrative

2 moments

S4E9 · Swiss Diplomacy

Post‑Victory Banter to Diplomatic Emergency

Cautiously earnest—aware of the sensitivity and seeking to minimize diplomatic fallout while advocating for urgent humanitarian help.

Ambassador Von Rutte presents a discreet, carefully qualified plea from Tehran: he explains medical details, the unusual provenance of the request, and the political constraints faced by the Ayatollah back …

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S4E9 · Swiss Diplomacy

A Fragile Heart, a Dangerous Request

Constrained urgency — he must communicate the desperation and fragility of the request while maintaining Swiss neutrality and protocol.

Ambassador Von Rutte formally delivers a sensitive, off-channel communication from Tehran, explaining medical details, the lack of success elsewhere, and the intermediated nature of the plea while signaling urgency and …

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