Trump hails Japanese leader, says Tokyo ‘really stepping up to the plate’ on Iran

Summary

• Trump welcomed Takaichi, praising Japan for "stepping up to the plate" regarding Iran, contrasting this with NATO's support.
• Takaichi offered proposals to stabilise the energy market, condemning Iran's actions and its nuclear ambitions; the global economy may suffer from Middle East turmoil.
• Japan has not received official US requests but is exploring possible actions within its constitutional limits, focusing on energy security and the US alliance.

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump greeted Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warmly at the White House on March 19 and said he believed Japan was “really stepping up to the plate” on Iran, unlike the NATO alliance.

Mr Trump has lashed out at allies for their lukewarm support for the US-Israeli military campaign and said the US doesn’t need any help.

However, he is still pushing for more ships to clear mines and escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, largely closed by Iran in the conflict.

Ahead of the meeting, Japan joined leading nations in Europe in a joint statement, saying they would take steps to stabilise energy markets and were ready to join “appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage through the Strait.

Mr Trump hailed Ms Takaichi’s election victory in February as “record setting” as he welcomed her at the Oval Office.

He said they would “be talking about trade and many other things,” including Iran.

“We’ve had tremendous support and relationship with Japan on everything, and I believe that based on statements that were given to us yesterday, the day before yesterday, having to do with Japan, they are really stepping up to the plate... unlike NATO,” Mr Trump said.

He said he expected Japan to step up given the support the US gave the country and the tens of thousands of troops it has stationed there.

“We don’t need much; we don’t need anything,” Mr Trump said. “We don’t need anything from Japan or from anyone else. But I think it’s appropriate that people step up.”

Ms Takaichi told Mr Trump she had “brought specific proposals to calm down the global energy market” and said Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Ms Takaichi condemned Iran’s attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and said she believed only Mr Trump could achieve peace. She also said the global economy was about to take a hit due to the turmoil in the Middle East.

Japan relies on crude oil from Gulf

Ms Takaichi’s long-scheduled White House visit has been aimed at burnishing the decades-old security and economic partnership between Washington and its closest East Asian ally, but there have been concerns among Japanese officials that Mr Trump will press her to do more than she is able to on Iran.

Ms Takaichi has sought to move Japan away from a pacifist constitution imposed by Washington after World War II, but with the Iran war unpopular at home, she has so far not offered to assist in clearing the Strait of Hormuz.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier said he would expect that Japan, which gets 95 per cent of its crude oil supplies from the Gulf, would want to ensure its supplies are safe.

Mr Bessent told Fox Business Network Japan’s navy has some of the best minesweepers and mine-detection capabilities, and that he believed Japan would release more of its large petroleum reserve to supply the strained oil market.

Ms Takaichi told the Japanese Parliament on March 16 that Japan had received no official request from the US on Iran but was checking the scope of possible action within the limits of its constitution.

Mr Trump said a lot of his discussions with Ms Takaichi would be about energy. Ms Takaichi said they would discuss economic security in areas like energy and minerals.

Japanese officials said Ms Takaichi hoped to remind Mr Trump of the dangers posed by a regionally assertive China - especially to Taiwan - ahead of his planned visit there, which has now been pushed back from an earlier plan him to visit in two weeks.

On March 18, US intelligence agencies created potential awkwardness for Ms Takaichi when they said that remarks she made 2025 in support of Taiwan marked a “significant shift” for a Japanese leader.

Ms Takaichi has maintained that her stance, which sent Tokyo’s relations with Beijing into a nosedive, was consistent with Japan’s long-standing policy and Japan’s government spokesperson said the US assessment was not accurate.

In the Oval Office, Ms Takaichi said Japan was open to dialogue with China.

Japan expects Mr Trump to ask Tokyo to produce or co-develop missiles that could help replace stocks of US munitions depleted by the Iran war and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Tokyo is still considering how to respond, Japanese government sources said. Ms Takaichi will also tell Mr Trump that Japan intends to join the “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative that is meant to detect, track and potentially counter incoming threats from orbit, two Japanese government sources said.

She is expected to announce a fresh Japanese investment in Trump-approved projects in the US, from a US$550 billion (S$702 billion) commitment made by the government to win relief from tariffs the US president imposed in 2025.

Japan could pledge some US$60 billion as part of the second tranche of its investments spanning critical minerals and energy, said a person familiar with the plans, after already committing to three projects valued at US$36 billion. REUTERS