Japan PM cancels visit to Tehran

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cancelled his visit to Iran meant to take place this month, government sources said Tuesday.

The decision was made in light of Trump’s push to pull out the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement in May, and to block Iran’s oil exports.

The government made arrangements for Abe, who would have been the first Japanese leader to visit the Iranian capital in 40 years, to convey Japan’s continued support for the 2015 nuclear deal.

The United States has previously urged Japan and its other allies to stop buying Iranian crude oil by November 4, despite Tokyo’s dependence on the country as the key source for decades.

But Japan, which has maintained stable relations with Iran, told the Trump administration that because of the negative impact on the economy, it can no longer reduce or halt Iranian crude imports.

According to The Japan Times, the government will continue to study the possibility of Abe visiting Iran by looking at how relations between Washington and Tehran develop in the following months.

However, sources said it is highly likely that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will bring up Washington’s request to increase pressure on Tehran when he makes a two-day visit to Tokyo this weekend.

According to the news site, Abe is now scheduled to go to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, following visits to Paris and Brussels during a tour that starts on July 11.