søndag 22. mars 2026

Japan's prime minister emerges buoyed from Trump summit

The delicate summit between US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichiwent off largely smoothly on Thursday. Takaichi arrived in Washington bearing trade and energy deals, and Trump reciprocated by reiterating the importance of the relationship while refraining from asking Tokyo to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to support the US-Israel war with Iran.

The meeting was arranged long before the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran late last month, with Trump last week calling on US allies, specifically naming Japan, to commit military forces to the region.

Japan would be unable to make any such commitment under the terms of its strict pacifist constitution. The Iran war in general is deeply unpopular with the Japanese people, analysts point out, effectively making it impossible for Takaichi to accede to any such request.