Ishiba-Trump Talks Tackle Tariffs and Middle East Tensions

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump engaged in a phone call on Friday, discussing key issues like tariffs and the situation in the Middle East, according to the Japanese foreign ministry.

Trump aims to leverage tariffs to craft favorable bilateral trade deals with allies, including Japan, which insists on a thorough review rather than a partial agreement. The conversation also highlighted differences over Israel's recent military actions against Iran, with Japan criticizing them as escalatory and the U.S. labeling them unilateral.

Both leaders agreed to expedite ministerial consultations for a mutually beneficial trade agreement and underscored the importance of Middle East stability. The two are set to meet next week at the G7 meeting in Canada.

(With inputs from agencies.)