Japanese PM Takaichi backs Trump on Iran

Washington: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told US President Donald Trump at the White House that she believed “it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world”, offering strong public backing as the two leaders discussed Iran, energy security, and turmoil in the Middle East.

Takaichi made the remark during an Oval Office appearance, placing Japan firmly alongside Washington’s push for regional stability while also stressing the risks to energy supplies and navigation.

“Right now, situations in the Middle East and also the entire world, we are actually experiencing a very severe security environment. And also, the global economy is now about to experience a huge hit because of these developments,” she said.

“But even against that backdrop, I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world,” she said.

Takaichi said she was ready “to reach out to many of the partners in the international community to achieve our objective together” and had come to the White House to convey that message directly.

On Iran, she took a hard line. “Iran’s development of nuclear weapons must never be allowed,” she said. She also said Japan “condemns Iran’s actions such as attacking the neighboring region and also the de facto or effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz”.

The Strait figured prominently in her later briefing to the Japanese travelling press, where she said she had “clearly conveyed Japan’s position on the need for an early resolution of the situation” and confirmed that Japan and the United States would “continue to maintain close communication toward achieving peace and stability in the Middle East, including the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and a stable supply of energy”.

She said the talks also focused on practical energy measures. “With Japan’s crude oil procurement in Asia in mind, we confirmed that Japan and the United States will work together to expand the production of US energy,” she said. She added that Tokyo wanted a joint project to stockpile crude oil procured from the US, saying diversified supply sources would support stable energy access for Japan and Asia.

Trump, for his part, said the world would be safer once the current operation was complete. “When it’s completed, we’re going to have a much safer world,” he said. He added, “The prime minister agrees with me on this; she considers it to be terrible what Iran did.”

Takaichi also used the meeting to link Middle East instability to broader economic security concerns. She said the two governments discussed critical minerals, energy, and security cooperation, and later said they had finalised three projects, including one involving rare-earth mud and marine mineral resources.

Her remarks underscored Japan’s difficult balancing act: backing Washington on regional stability while protecting its own legal, diplomatic, and energy interests. Asked whether there had been discussion about dispatching naval vessels, she said only that the safety of the Strait of Hormuz was “of the utmost importance” and noted that “there are certain actions we can and cannot take within the scope of Japanese law”.

Japan has long depended heavily on imported energy, making instability around the Strait of Hormuz an immediate strategic concern for Tokyo. Any disruption there carries economic consequences far beyond the Gulf, including across Asian markets.

For India, which also closely tracks Gulf stability because of oil imports, shipping routes, and diaspora concerns, the exchange was significant. It showed Japan trying to turn its alliance with Washington into a hedge against wider energy and security shocks in Asia.

IANS