Can Japan Maintain Role as Bridge Between U.S. and Iran? Takaichi’s Diplomacy to Be Tested

By Seima Oki

8:00 JST, March 21, 2026

The United States and Israel have attacked Iran, causing the international situation to once again become even more volatile. Japan has traditionally maintained good relations with Iran. Japan depends on the Middle East for 90% of its crude oil imports, and the stability of the Middle East is directly linked to Japan’s national interests. Therefore, even after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Japan did not sever ties with Iran, maintaining a distinct stance from the West. However, Japan is currently unable to fully leverage this unique approach to stabilize the situation or act as a mediator.

A relatively recent example of Japan’s independent diplomacy toward Iran was the visit to Iran by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in June 2019. In May 2018, the first administration of U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement, which had been concluded during the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, and reimposed economic sanctions. In response, Iran resumed some of the nuclear-related activities that had been restricted under the nuclear deal, leading to heightened tensions in areas such as the Strait of Hormuz. Abe visited Iran to explore whether there were any potential points of compromise between the United States and Iran, and attempted to act as a bridge to avoid an escalation of the conflict.

Trump had also conveyed to Abe beforehand that he did not want a military conflict with Iran and had eagerly desired Abe’s mediation. In a phone call shortly before Abe’s visit to Iran, Trump expressed his expectations, saying: “Only Shinzo can do this. I trust you.” The Iranian side also welcomed the visit, saying, “If it’s Abe speaking, President Trump will likely listen.”

Abe’s visit to Iran did take place, but the results were not significant. Abe became the first Japanese prime minister to meet with Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called for dialogue with the United States to ease tensions, and conveyed a message from Trump to Khamenei. However, while Khamenei stated that he had “no doubt about Japan’s sincerity and goodwill,” he refused to engage in dialogue with Trump, saying: “I don’t consider Trump as a person deserving to exchange messages with. I have not given him a response, and I will not in the future.”

Upon his return to Japan, Abe spoke with Trump by phone, conveying the results of his meetings with Khamenei and others. Trump expressed his gratitude for Abe’s mediation.

Abe’s visit to Iran highlighted the deep-rooted mutual distrust between the United States and Iran, and the difficulty of resolving the Middle East issue. However, while the United Kingdom, France and Germany — all parties to the Iran nuclear agreement — had not yet established good relations with the Trump administration and had not found a breakthrough on the Iran issue, Abe became the first leader from the Group of Seven nations to meet with Khamenei after the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the agreement, directly hearing Khamenei’s thoughts. This was undoubtedly the culmination of Japan’s long-standing and quietly cultivated Middle East diplomacy, and it marked a moment when the international community — including the West — placed high hopes on Japanese diplomacy.

However, Japan’s Middle East diplomacy since then appears to have lost some of its distinctiveness. A senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official commented, “Japan is on the verge of squandering its ‘asset’ of traditional friendly relations with Iran.”

One reason is that the situation in Asia has become more tense. China is intensifying military pressure in areas such as the waters near Taiwan, as well as in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, while China, Russia and North Korea are strengthening their strategic cooperation. Japan, which relies on the United States for its security, has seen its room to maneuver in the Middle East narrow.

Even regarding the recent U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi only stated, “We need some time before we can make a legal assessment,” avoiding a clear statement of position. The underlying reason is that if she were to make statements criticizing the United States, it would worsen Japan-U.S. relations, which a senior Japanese government official said would “benefit China and Russia.”

Another factor is a series of prime ministers lacking the strong diplomatic skills that Abe possessed. Yoshihide Suga, who succeeded Abe, served as chief cabinet secretary under the Abe administration and must have witnessed Abe’s diplomacy firsthand from the heart of the government. But to put it mildly, Suga was not good at diplomacy and did not demonstrate his own unique style. Fumio Kishida, who had served as foreign minister for about 4½ years, achieved significant results in strengthening Japan-U.S. relations, including revision of the three security-related documents, after becoming prime minister. However, he did not achieve any memorable results in Middle East diplomacy. Kishida’s successor, Shigeru Ishiba, lacked diplomatic experience and focused much of his diplomatic energy on strengthening relations with Trump, who returned to office during Ishiba’s administration.

Suga and Ishiba were each in office barely more than a year, and even Kishida fell just short of the three-year mark. They simply did not have the leeway to pursue a distinctive diplomatic agenda.

The current prime minister, Takaichi, achieved a landslide victory in the February general election, successfully strengthening her power base. While it remains to be seen whether she will have a long-term administration, her chances look better than those of the previous three prime ministers. Although Takaichi appears capable of diplomacy, she does not seem particularly fond of it. While it was customary for previous prime ministers to travel abroad at the start of the new year, Takaichi chose not to do so. Even senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office have commented that Takaichi doesn’t seem to like traveling abroad very much.

Just like relationships between people, building trust between nations requires repeated face-to-face meetings and exchanges of opinions. It is essential to carefully and diligently cultivate relationships not only with major countries like the United States and European nations, and with nearby Asian countries, but also with many other regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America.

Iran, cornered by attacks from the U.S. and Israel militaries, has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, putting not only neighboring Arab nations but also the international community at risk. While Japan is in the process of squandering the asset of its friendly relations with Iran, there may come a time when Iran turns to Takaichi, who has built a good relationship with Trump. Japan needs to redouble its diplomatic efforts so that it can once again play a mediating role with Iran.

Political Pulse appears every Saturday.

Seima Oki

Seima Oki is a deputy editor in the Political News Department of The Yomiuri Shimbun.