Japan Navy Keeps Plan for Mideast Deployment Amid Iran Tension
- Abe had sought to reduce Iran tensions with mutual visits
- Japanese public divided over plan to send ship to region
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Japan will proceed with a previously planned naval deployment to the Middle East despite increased risks in the region after President Donald Trump warned Iran of major retaliation if it sought revenge for the U.S. killing last week of a top general.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose country has a military alliance with the U.S. and good ties with Iran, told a news conference Monday that Tokyo was deeply concerned about rising tensions. The comments were Abe’s first since the attack, and came hours after Iran said it would abandon limits on uranium enrichment, leaving a landmark 2015 nuclear deal dead in all but name.