Trump Raises Pearl Harbor With Japan PM as Iran Strains Ties (4)

March 19, 2026, 11:39 PM UTC

Tensions between the US and Japan over the Iran war remained evident as President Donald Trumphosted Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, even as he said Tokyo was answering his call for support in the effort.

The visit was bound to be fraught as it was unclear what steps Japan was willing to immediately take to help alleviate the economic and security consequences of the war, which remains deeply unpopular in Japan. Joining an armed conflict is legally questionable under the country’s constitution.

“They are really stepping up to the plate,” unlike NATO allies, Trump said Thursday at the White ...

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