Japan’s PM will mull top-level talks with Iran at ‘appropriate’ time

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ‘s comments come as prospects for a US-Iran meeting mediated by Pakistan remain uncertain.

Photo: AFP Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday she will consider holding talks with the Iranian leadership at an “appropriate” time based on the national interest as tensions remain high in the Middle East.

Takaichi’s remarks come as prospects for a US-Iran meeting mediated by Pakistan remain uncertain, with US President Donald Trump later renewing threats to hit Iranian energy infrastructure if a deal is not reached. “I will judge the appropriate timing for holding talks based on the national interest from a comprehensive standpoint,” Takaichi told a session of the House of Representatives’ Budget Committee.

Since the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran late last month, Tokyo has sought to strike a delicate balance between maintaining its security alliance with Washington and its traditionally friendly relations with Tehran.

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House in March 2026.

Photo: Emily Higgins/White House/Planet Stability in the Middle East is vital for Japan, which relies on the region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports.

Most of them pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy shipments.

But Iran has effectively blocked the strait, fuelling oil supply concerns and triggering soaring prices.

As concerns mount that the conflict could lead to restrictions on supplies of raw materials key to people’s livelihoods, Takaichi wrote on X that she had made Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa the minister in charge of ensuring a stable supply of critical minerals amid the Middle East situation.

Takaichi said she has instructed Akazawa to “conduct a comprehensive review of the supply situation” around key materials and consider policy measures. “We will coordinate with relevant ministers to make every effort towards a stable supply of essential goods such as medical-related materials, food packaging and fuel for truck operators,” Akazawa told a press conference following his appointment.

With Japanese-related ships stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the ongoing conflict, four Japanese crew members returned to Japan from Narita airport outside Tokyo on Monday night, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Twenty Japanese crew members remain aboard a

原文链接: 南华早报