Japan's Takaichi welcomes agreement between US and Iran

(17 Jun 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Archamps, France - 17 June 2026 1. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi walking to podium 2. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Sanae Takaichi, Japanese Prime Minister: "Regarding the situation in Iran, first of all, I welcomed the agreement between the United States and Iran as a major step towards de-escalation. I also stated that it's important to secure the steady implementation of the agreement as well as free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and that we hope a final agreement on such matters as the Iranian nuclear issue are reached as soon as possible. At the same time, I stress the importance of allowing all vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf to be able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz further. As the only country to have suffered from atomic bombings, I underscored the necessity to cooperate with the IAEA to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Regarding the dispatch of Self Defense forces, nothing has been decided." 3. Takaichi during news conference 4. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Sanae Takaichi, Japanese Prime Minister: "Regarding the resilience of supply chains, on behalf of Asia, the region that has been most impacted by the recent situation in the Middle East, I stress that the G7 needs to take a lead in working towards global energy security, especially the stability of the crude oil market." 5. Takaichi during news conference 6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Sanae Takaichi, Japanese Prime Minister: "As to the critical minerals, as I have already mentioned, I have proposed the joint stockpiling cooperation initiative, and I have asked for accelerating the partnership amongst the G7. And as for supply chain resiliency, we will work closely with the United States and with the like-minded countries, including the G7. We will go forward in building an effective mechanism based upon the actual situation of the industry." 7. Takaichi during news conference 8. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Sanae Takaichi, Japanese Prime Minister: "It does not change the fact that the Japan-US alliance is the cornerstone for foreign and security policies. And with (US) President (Donald) Trump going forward, under the strong trusted relationship in broad areas of security, economy, and economic security, we have the will more concretely to proceed the quality Japan-US cooperation and furthermore." 9. Takaichi leaving news conference STORYLINE: Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, on Wednesday welcomed a tentative agreement between the US and Iran aimed at ending their war, calling it a "major step towards de-escalation". "I also stated that it's important to secure the steady implementation of the agreement as well as free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and that we hope a final agreement on such matters as the Iranian nuclear issue are reached as soon as possible," Takaichi told reporters at the end of the three-day Group of Seven summit. The memorandum of understanding, brokered mainly by Pakistan, starts with the simultaneous lifting of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports, according to Pakistani officials. The two sides will then begin 60 days of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and the potential lifting of sanctions, they told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the text is being kept confidential. Takaichi stressed the importance of the stability of the crude oil market. At the summit G7 leaders formed a critical minerals alliance against "economic coercion". =========================================================== Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...