Japan hopes US-Iran talks continue toward de-escalation

JAKARTA - Japanese Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said his party hopes that negotiations between the United States and Iran can resume immediately and a final agreement can be reached.

"The most important thing is to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible, including ensuring the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," Kihara said at a press conference, Monday, April 20, reported by ANTARA from Sputnik.

He said Tokyo continued to monitor developments in the region.

"We hope that negotiations between the US and Iran will continue and eventually lead to a quick settlement of the deal," the official said.

Kihara emphasized that Japan would continue to support dialogue between the parties concerned and mediation efforts from interested countries, acting in close coordination with the international community.

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced that his representatives would head to Islamabad to hold talks with Iran. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz claimed that US-Iranian talks would continue in the next 24 hours.

However, Iran's IRNA news agency reported that Iran refused to participate in the second round of talks with the US.