Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday slammed the “irrational” withdrawal of the United States from the multinational nuclear deal on Tehran’s nuclear program, as he met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.
Rouhani’s trip to Japan comes after deadly protests last month over petroleum price hikes in Iran, where the economy has been hit by Washington-imposed sanctions.
“I strongly condemn the US for unilaterally and irrationally withdrawing” from the deal, said Rouhani, who became the first Iranian head of state to visit Japan for two decades.
“I hope Japan and other countries will make efforts to maintain this deal.”
Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei has played down the mediation aspect of the trip, saying the visit to Tokyo had “nothing to do with issues such as negotiations with America”.
However, he noted that “our Japanese friends usually convey messages or initiatives, which we welcome… and seriously examine”.
During his meeting with Rouhani, Abe said “Japan will patiently continue its diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East,” according to a Japanese government official.
“The two leaders agreed to maintain their close communications,” the official said.
Abe travelled to Tehran in June to try to ease tensions between the United States and Iran in the Gulf.
Japan was formerly a major buyer of Iranian crude but stopped purchases to comply with the US sanctions.
Abe explained to Rouhani Tokyo’s plans to send Japanese warships to the Gulf of Oman to protect shipping there, while calling on Tehran to take “responsibility” for securing sea lanes in the region.
“This kind of policy is aimed at securing Japanese vessels’ safety,” government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said earlier in the day, adding that 90 percent of Japan’s crude oil imports come from the region.
Source: AFP
