Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to meet Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later this month with Tokyo hoping to mediate between Washington and Tehran, a report said yesterday.
As tensions intensify between Iran and the US, Abe has reportedly proposed serving as a go-between and is said to be weighing up a state visit to Iran.
According to the Mainichi Shimbun, Abe’s planned meeting with Khamenei would be the first such talks between a Japanese prime minister and the Iranian leader.
US President Donald Trump last week during his state visit to Tokyo said that he remained open to talks with Tehran, appearing to have given the green light to Abe’s plan.
Abe would also meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani before meeting Khamenei during his three-day visit to Iran that begins on Wednesday next week, the newspaper said, citing unnamed government sources.
Before Trump flew to Japan, the US had announced it was sending 1,500 extra troops to the Persian Gulf region, adding to the aircraft carrier group and nuclear-capable bomber planes already dispatched.
However, on Monday last week in Tokyo, Trump offered assurances that he could live with the Islamic republic’s government, whose toppling has long been a dream for Washington hardliners.
“We’re not looking for regime change,” Trump said, adding that he only cared about Iran not achieving nuclear power status.
“I do believe that Iran would like to talk, and if they’d like to talk, we’d like to talk also,” Trump added.
Khamenei has likened negotiations with the Trump administration to “poison” since “they don’t stand by anything,” referring to Washington’s withdrawal from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal signed by Tehran and world powers.
Tokyo and Iran have kept a good relationship as Japan relies heavily on imports of Middle East oil, although Iranian crude accounted for just 5.3 percent of Japan’s total imports last year.
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
DISPUTE: A Chinese official prompted a formal protest from Tokyo by saying that ‘the dirty head that sticks itself out must be cut off,’ after Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks Four armed China Coast Guard vessels yesterday morning sailed through disputed waters controlled by Japan, amid a diplomatic spat following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan. The four ships sailed around the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) to Taiwan, and which Taiwan and China also claim — on Saturday before entering Japanese waters yesterday and left, the Japan Coast Guard said. The China Coast Guard said in a statement that it carried out a “rights enforcement patrol” through the waters and that it was a lawful operation. As of the end of last month,
RSS