Abe to Prepare for Middle East Trip amid U.S.-Iran Tensions

January 5, 2020

Sodegaura, Chiba Pref.- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his willingness on Saturday to prepare for a trip to the Middle East, amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.

Speaking to reporters while playing golf in the city of Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, Abe said, "I'd like to prepare for a visit to the Middle East if the situation permits."

Abe is considering visiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in mid-January.

The U.S.-Iran tensions flared up after a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad killed Iran's Gen. Qasem Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force. The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Thursday night that the targeted killing was carried out on President Donald Trump's orders. Jiji Press