‘Not putting troops in Iran, want Japan to step up,’ says Trump; claims Iran leadership ‘gone’
President Donald Trump said he expects Japan to step up support in action against Iran Photograph: (X)
Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi said Iran’s development of nuclear weapons must never be allowed, and that is why we, Japan, have been urging them and also reaching out to other partners in the world. She added that Japan condemns Iran's attacks on neighbours and Strait of Hormuz closure.
President Donald Trump welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House on Thursday and said that he expects Japan to “step up” its support for the US in action against Iran. “I expect Japan to step up because, you know, we have that kind of relationship and we step up for Japan. We have 45,000 soldiers in Japan. We have, we spent a lot of money on Japan,” he said.
“We don’t need much. We don’t need anything. I mean, honestly, we don’t need anything from Japan or from anyone else. But I think it’s appropriate that people step up,” Trump added.
“In the case of Japan, I hear they get more than 90% of their oil through the strait,” said Trump, to which Takaichi nodded and said, “Yes”.
“So that’s a big reason to step up,” he said.
‘Iran leadership is gone, not putting troops in Iran’: Trump
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“We’re defending the strait for everybody else,” Trump said. “And then in the case of, NATO, they don’t want to help us defend the strait, and they’re the ones that need it. But now they’re getting much nicer because they’re seeing my attitude.”
Trump also said that the US would not deploy ground troops in Iran but claimed that Tehran’s leadership had been effectively dismantled and suggested the war could end soon.
Trump said, “Iran leadership is gone,” but did not elaborate on specific individuals.
“Not putting troops in Iran,” Trump added, signalling that he intends to avoid a ground invasion.
‘Iran’s development of nuclear weapons must never be allowed’: Takaichi
“Iran’s development of nuclear weapons must never be allowed. And that is why we, Japan, have been urging them and also reaching out to other partners in the world,” said PM Takaichi while speaking through an interpreter.
“In addition, Japan condemns Iran's actions, such as attacking the neighbouring region and also the de facto or effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” she added.
Asked if he was happy with the level of support the U.S. is getting from Japan on Iran, Trump said, "Well, we're going to be speaking about it today."
Trump said last weekend that other nations, particularly Asian countries that were heavily dependent on oil from the Middle East, should help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan was one of several US allies to resist Trump’s call, after which he expressed his frustration.
‘Global economy is now about to experience a huge hit’
Earlier, Trump began the meeting with Takaichi by saying, “We have a very fine relationship. And we’re going to be talking about trade and many other things.” Takaichi thanked Trump for inviting her before switching to Japanese.
“Right now, situations in the Middle East and also the entire world, we are actually experiencing a very severe security environment,” she said through an interpreter.
“The global economy is now about to experience a huge hit because of this development.”
She said that she believed “it is only Trump who could achieve peace across the world”.
‘Seeing defections from Iranian military’
Asked about defections among the Iranian leadership, Trump turned to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to answer.
Bessent said, “We are seeing the defections at all levels, as they’re starting to sense what’s going on with the regime ... the regime will probably collapse within itself.”
“At Treasury, we have seen where they’ve wired their money out of the country. We’re coming for that. We’re going to get it back to the Iranian people,” he added.
Trump then added, “There’s a lot of military defections, also. You have a lot of military defections in Iran.”
