Trump says Japan is ‘stepping up’ in Iran war; bashes NATO leaders

President Trump hailed Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae for “stepping up” on Iran after she pledged to join a coalition to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, where an Iranian blockade has worsened soaring oil prices.

The president thanked Ms. Takaichi for her promise to join the U.S.-led coalition and then lashed out at the NATO alliance for their tepid support of the U.S.-Israeli military offensive against Iran, insisting the U.S. doesn’t need its help to clear out the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have tremendous support and relationship with Japan on everything,” Mr. Trump said during the Oval Office meeting with Ms. Takaichi. “They are really stepping up to the plate.”

“Unlike NATO,” Mr. Trump added in a quick aside.

Just hours before the White House meeting, Japan issued a carefully-worded statement announcing support for a six-nation coalition that would ensure ships safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz. In addition to the U.S. and Japan, other countries in the partnership include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

The five countries declared their “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts” to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and “stabilize energy markets.” However, they did not commit to any specific military resources or action.

SEE ALSO: Trump to Japanese reporter: ‘Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?’

The pledge to help was largely a response to appease Mr. Trump, who has been hectoring NATO allies and other European nations to do more amid Iran’s attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which has created a de facto blockade. The waterway is crucial for the movement of oil from the Persian Gulf. About 20% of the world’s oil flows through the narrow waterway off the Iranian coast.

Although she did not offer specifics, Ms. Takaichi expressed willingness to help get other nations on board for securing the Strait of Hormuz. She also aligned herself with Mr. Trump’s view that Iran “must never” possess nuclear weapons.  

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“I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world. To do so, I am ready to reach out to many of the partners in the international community to achieve our objective together,” Ms. Takaichi said.

Mr. Trump has been repeatedly critical of the NATO alliance for not fully supporting the joint Israeli-U.S. military operations in Iran, telling reporters that the 32-nation defensive alliance is “making a very foolish mistake.”

“In the case of NATO, they don’t want to help us defend the Strait, and they’re the ones that need it,” Mr. Trump said. “But now they’re getting much nicer, because they’re seeing my attitude … but as far as I’m concerned, it’s too late.”

But moments later, Mr. Trump declared that the U.S. really didn’t need NATO’s help in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

“We don’t need much. We don’t need anything,” he said. “But I think it’s appropriate.”

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The largely congenial meeting took an awkward turn after he answered a reporter’s question by comparing the surprise attack on Iran to Japan’s sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

While explaining why the Iran attack needed to be a surprise, Mr. Trump said, “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? Right?”

Ms. Takaichi said Tokyo had been reaching out to Iran. Tokyo, unlike Washington, has diplomatic relations with Tehran, creating a possible venue for diplomacy to end the conflict. Japan has tried in the past to serve as a mediator between Tehran and Washington, including in 2019, but such attempts have been unsuccessful.

Mr. Trump and Ms. Takaichi were also expected to discuss trade relations and other areas of mutual concern.

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During the public portion of the White House meeting, Mr. Trump did not bring up concerns about religious liberty in Japan.

About 500 protesters demonstrated outside the Japanese Embassy as Ms. Takaichi met with Mr. Trump, objecting to the Japanese government’s move to dissolve the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, whose churches across Japan have been ordered closed.

The demonstration was intended to draw attention to concerns about how democratic governments regulate religious organizations and what those actions mean for minority faith communities.

The Washington Times is one of the properties of the Family Federation, formerly the Unification Church.

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It’s unclear how much help Japan can offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Japan’s constitution explicitly bars the use of military forces in combat situations, which could occur if Tokyo’s navy escorts ships in the strait that are being attacked by Iranian missiles and drones.

Before departing for Washington, Ms. Takaichi told Japanese lawmakers that she will “clearly explain” to Mr. Trump “what we can do and cannot do based on the Japanese law.”

Japan’s unique legal system determines what the country can do when it comes to becoming involved in international disputes, and its constitution forbids waging war as a means of settling disputes.

The Iran war is deeply unpopular in her country. A recent poll in the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun shows 82% of Japanese do not support the war, and more than 50% are not satisfied with Ms. Takaichi’s reluctance to speak out about it.

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But Japan is also heavily reliant on the oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly 70% of its imported oil and 6% of its imported liquid natural gas travel through the waterway. Japan’s crude oil experts will “decrease significantly” around March 20 if the strait isn’t open, Ms. Takaichi said Monday.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.