Sanae Takaichi, Japan's prime minister, said regarding the possibility of a summit with Iran that "we will decide, based on the national interest, when it would be appropriate to hold talks."
On the 30th, Prime Minister Takaichi answered a question from Isa Shinichi, a lawmaker with the Centrist Reform Alliance, who asked for her view by saying, "I think it may be important for Japan to mediate between the United States and Iran," during a session of the Budget Committee in the House of Representatives (lower house).
Japan has previously built a relatively friendly relationship with Iran. In 2019, when tensions between the United States and Iran peaked after the first Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and stepped up sanctions, former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo visited Iran to attempt mediation.
However, Prime Minister Takaichi is seen as still exercising caution about engaging with Iran.
That day, in reference to her remark during a recent summit with U.S. President Donald Trump that it would be difficult to dispatch ships to the Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Takaichi explained, "There are constitutional and other legal constraints."
Immediately after the summit, she had said, "There are things we can do and cannot do within the scope of Japanese law."
Meanwhile, public opinion is divided over Prime Minister Takaichi reserving judgment under international law on the U.S. attack on Iran. A Mainichi poll found that 33% "support" Prime Minister Takaichi's avoidance of evaluating the U.S. attack on Iran, while 36% "do not support" it, in terms of the response rate.
Earlier, in the National Diet, Prime Minister Takaichi said, "As we are not in a position to sufficiently grasp the detailed facts, we will not render a definitive legal assessment."