Japan PM brings 'specific proposals' to calm markets amid Iran war

2026-03-20 - 09:29

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced Thursday that she has arrived at the White House with concrete proposals aimed at calming global markets as the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to disrupt energy supplies and rattle the world economy. Speaking ahead of her summit with President Donald Trump, Takaichi described the current security environment as "very severe" and warned that global markets are about to take a significant hit from the unfolding crisis. "We are actually experiencing a very severe security environment," Takaichi said, referring to the situation in the Middle East and beyond. She emphasized that despite the challenging backdrop, she believes Trump is uniquely positioned to achieve peace globally. "I am ready to reach out to many of the partners in the international community to achieve our objective together," she added, explaining that her visit was intended to convey this message directly. Japan's Energy Concerns and Condemnation of Iran Takaichi strongly condemned Iran's actions, including its attacks on neighboring regions and its effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a critical oil transit route that typically handles about 20 million barrels per day and roughly 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas trade. Japan, which relies on the Middle East for approximately 90 percent of its energy needs, has already begun releasing oil from its strategic reserves to cope with supply disruptions. "We have specific proposals to calm down the global energy market," Takaichi stated, adding that she looked forward to discussing collaboration with Trump on economic security, particularly in strategic areas such as energy and rare earth minerals. She also affirmed Japan's consistent stance on Iran's nuclear program, stating that Tehran's development of nuclear weapons "must never be allowed." Trump's Remarks on Alliance and Pearl Harbor Reference President Trump welcomed Takaichi to the White House and praised Japan's support for Washington's actions on Iran, contrasting Tokyo's stance with that of NATO allies. "Japan is really stepping up to the plate, unlike the NATO," Trump said, adding that he expects Japan to continue stepping up in the future. He noted the presence of 45,000 US soldiers in Japan as evidence of the deep mutual commitment between the two nations. When asked by a Japanese journalist why the US did not inform its allies before launching its offensive against Iran, Trump responded with a pointed historical reference. "You don't want to signal too much. When we go in, we went in very hard, and we didn't tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise in Japan?" he said, adding, "Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?" The remark drew attention to the longstanding security partnership between the two countries. On relations with China, Trump directed a question to Takaichi, noting that Tokyo and Beijing have "a little bit of an edgy relationship." The Japanese prime minister responded that Japan has consistently remained open to dialogue with China and has been addressing bilateral relations in a calm manner.