Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday condemned Iran for its attacks on other Middle East countries resulting in civilian casualties during phone talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Takaichi explained Japan’s stance on the situation in Iran, a country it traditionally has amicable ties with, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said, without providing further details. The two leaders also agreed to join efforts to deescalate the conflict in the Middle East, it said.
Since the United States and Israel began their bombardment on Iran last Saturday, Tehran has been conducting missile and drone strikes on neighboring countries and civilians have been reported killed. Civilian sites such as airports, hotels and residential areas have been among its targets in the region, according to local reports.
Due to its heavy reliance on the Middle East for crude oil, Japan, a resource-poor nation, needs stability in the region.
Takaichi and Merz also affirmed economic security cooperation and shared concerns over the impact of export controls on critical minerals on global supply chains, the ministry said, after China tightened its export control of dual-use items, possibly including rare earths, to Japan.
The two leaders also held phone talks last week before Merz visited China and the United States for summit meetings with President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump, respectively.
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