Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sought to reaffirm her alliance with President Donald Trump after he appeared to complain that some nations, including Japan, were slow to respond to his request for help protecting the Strait of Hormuz.
Meeting Trump at the White House, Takaichi—through an interpreter—stressed Japan’s opposition to Iran’s nuclear development and appealed to Trump’s peacemaker credentials, saying the world faces “a very severe security environment” and adding, “Even against that backdrop, I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world.”
The public portion of their roughly 30-minute Oval Office meeting mixed warmth and tension. Trump called Takaichi a “popular, powerful woman,” but both leaders faced repeated questions about Japan’s support for US action against Iran. At one point, Takaichi was seen checking her watch as reporters pressed the pair.
When asked why the US had not warned allies like Japan ahead of strikes on Iran, Trump made an awkward joke invoking the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor: “We didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbour, OK?” Takaichi’s slight smile faded and she raised her eyebrows at the remark.
That evening, the tone was friendlier as Trump hosted a dinner for the prime minister. He praised her, and Takaichi, calling the leaders “best buddies” through an interpreter, declared in English, “Japan is back.”
Earlier, leaders of five European countries and Japan issued a joint statement urging Iran to stop attacks on the Strait of Hormuz, calling for steps to keep commercial shipping safe and saying they were ready to contribute to “appropriate efforts,” though specifics were not detailed.
Trump told reporters he and Takaichi would discuss Japan’s level of support in the Iran conflict and said, “They are really stepping up to the plate,” without providing details. He noted much of Japan’s oil transits the strait—a factor he cited in urging Japan to “step up”—and referred to US spending and troop presence in Japan.
After the meeting, Takaichi said both leaders agreed that securing the Strait of Hormuz was vital, and she outlined to Trump the legal limits on Japan’s actions under its laws.
Takaichi’s White House visit was meant to give Japan’s new prime minister a chance to make her case to Trump before his planned trip to China, but the situation in Iran and Trump’s repeated public complaints about allied responses delayed that trip. Takaichi had acknowledged she expected a “very difficult” meeting.
Beyond the Iran discussion, the two leaders signed a reported $40 billion deal for nuclear reactors. Under the agreement, US-based GE Vernova Inc. and Japan-based Hitachi Ltd. will build advanced small modular reactors in Tennessee and Alabama, a move the White House said aims to stabilize US electricity prices and expand power generation.
Analysts said the meeting carried high stakes for Japan. Kurt Campbell, former US deputy secretary of state in the Biden administration, said Takaichi would try to position Japan as a partner in US Middle East plans to gain more influence on issues such as Taiwan. Japan faces legal constraints from its post-World War II constitution, which bars the use of force except in self-defense; its military is officially the Self-Defense Force.
Experts note Japan can assist in limited ways—such as minesweeping—and has maintained a small naval presence in the region on anti-piracy missions for years. But joining a US-led mission in the Iran conflict would require clearing “an exceptionally high bar politically to invoke collective self-defence,” a move that has not happened before.
Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister and a protégé of former leader Shinzo Abe, is known as a hard-line conservative and a longtime supporter of Taiwan. Her comments about Japan’s willingness to provide military support to Taiwan have increased tensions with China. (AP)
