Japan PM says call with Iran president being arranged

Japan is arranging a call with the Iranian president as diplomatic efforts continue during the ongoing Middle East conflict, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Tuesday.

“I recall what I said yesterday was that we were making arrangements to do a telephone call with the Iranian president,” Takaichi told parliament.

She added that Japan is seeking communication with both sides involved in the conflict. “We have to communicate both with the US and Iran, so we are seeking telephone calls with the presidents of both countries,” she said during an upper house budget committee meeting.

The move comes as fighting continues in the region, with Tokyo aiming to maintain dialogue and encourage de-escalation.

Earlier, Japanese authorities confirmed that Iran had released a Japanese national who had been detained since January. Local media reported that the individual was believed to be the Tehran bureau chief of NHK.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also held talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.

Motegi “expressed his grave concern over the prolonging exchange of retaliatory attacks (by Iran on Gulf countries), and reiterated Japan’s consistent position that an early de-escalation of the situation is of utmost importance,” the foreign ministry said.

“In addition, he urged Iran to engage sincerely with the diplomatic efforts currently underway among the relevant countries,” the statement added.

Japan, which relies heavily on energy imports from the Middle East, has been closely monitoring the situation as tensions continue to rise.

Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump has criticised several allies, including Japan, for not playing a more active role in the conflict.