Abe to visit Iran amid tensions over Persian Gulf

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will make a two-day visit to Iran from June 12, amid rising tensions in the Persian Gulf between the US and Tehran over an international nuclear agreement, the government said here on Thursday.

At a meeting of a Lower House steering committee, it was provisionally decided that amid tensions in the region, Abe would visit Iran with the Prime Minister believing that he could help de-escalate the situation as Japan has friendly ties with both Washington and Tehran, reports Xinhua news agency.

Abe will meet Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

During the talks, Abe is likely to underscore Japan's hope that Iran would stick to the international nuclear accord inked in 2015 between Iran and six major powers.

US President Donald Trump, however, pulled Washington out of the nuclear deal last year and restored sanctions against Tehran that were scraped under the pact.

According to reports, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono will visit Iran to hold talks with his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif before Abe's visit to Tehran.

--IANS

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