Jun 15, 2019 (Japan Today) - Iran's supreme leader told Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday that it was pointless to reply to a message he had brought to Tehran from U.S. President Donald Trump, as a peacemaking visit was overshadowed by attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
The attacks were the latest incident in a confrontation between the United States and Iran after weeks of tightening U.S. sanctions and a war of words.
One of the tankers was Japanese. Iran's foreign minister tweeted that it was "suspicious" that the attacks took place during Abe's visit to Tehran.
Trump said that he appreciated the recent visit by Abe to Iran to meet Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but that he believed it is "too soon to even think about" the United States making a deal with Tehran.
"They are not ready, and neither are we!" Trump said in a tweet.
Japan was one of the main buyers of Iranian oil until last month, when Washington ordered all countries to halt all Iranian oil imports or face sanctions of their own. Abe, who had discussed Iran with Trump last month, brought a message from the U.S. president, but Khamenei rebuffed it.
"I do not see Trump as worthy of any message exchange, and I do not have any reply for him, now or in future," Iranian state media quoted Khamenei as telling the Japanese premier.
U.S. allies in Europe and Asia have repeatedly expressed concern that tension between the United States and Iran could escalate into an armed conflict. Abe warned on Wednesday of unintended clashes in the Middle East, after meeting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
A year after the United States abandoned an agreement between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran's nuclear program in return for lifting sanctions, confrontation between the two foes has reached a new pitch.
