Japan Presses Iran for Flexibility in Mediation Talks

Overview

• Japan's foreign minister spoke by phone with Iran's foreign minister in the latest high-level contact and urged Iran to show maximum flexibility in mediator-led talks to end hostilities.
• Iran's minister outlined Tehran's negotiating position during the call and both officials agreed to keep close communication toward a diplomatic resolution.
• Tokyo stressed the need for the international community to discuss the status and governance of the Strait of Hormuz and asked Iran to respond constructively to those discussions.
• The exchange was the tenth foreign minister-level phone conversation between Japan and Iran since the February attack on Iran, underlining sustained diplomacy rather than a concluded settlement.
• Separately, Japan met Qatar to deepen energy cooperation and coordinate on Hormuz security after damage to regional LNG facilities has raised concerns about fuel supplies and regional stability.