Takaichi will be the first major ally to hold face-to-face talks with Trump since he urged Japan and other partners to send naval vessels to escort tankers through the strategically vital waterway, which has been largely disrupted by Iran during the conflict.

“The biggest risk is that Trump publicly presses her for security commitments that she can’t deliver on,” said David Boling of the Asia Group consultancy in Tokyo, a former U.S. trade negotiator with Japan.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly a fifth of global energy supplies, with about 90% of Japan’s crude oil imports passing through it, underscoring Tokyo’s exposure to the crisis.

Japanese officials said Takaichi had initially planned to steer discussions toward concerns over China’s regional posture ahead of a delayed visit, but shifting U.S. priorities have forced a focus on Iran and maritime security.

Japan has received no formal request from Washington, Takaichi told parliament earlier this week, adding that the government was assessing possible responses within the constraints of its pacifist constitution.

Several U.S. allies, including Germany, Italy and Spain, have ruled out joining a Gulf mission. Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday that no country was prepared to risk personnel in the conflict zone.

Public sentiment in Japan also remains cautious. Fewer than 10% of respondents support U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, according to a poll by the Asahi newspaper.

Trump has alternated between criticising allies for their reluctance and downplaying their necessity, singling out countries like Japan that rely on U.S. security guarantees while depending heavily on Middle Eastern oil flows.

Tokyo has historically limited its role in Middle East operations to logistical and intelligence support. Analysts say deploying Japanese vessels into an active conflict zone would face significant legal and political hurdles.

“It has turned into a discussion that shakes the very foundations of the Japan–U.S. security alliance,” said Kazuhiro Maeshima, a politics professor at Sophia University in Tokyo.

Saudi Defense Ministry spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said the attacks began shortly after midnight, with 48 drones launched in roughly two hours.

In a series of posts on X starting at 2:22 a.m. local time, he said Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed all the drones before they reached their intended targets.The strikes form part of a broader pattern of nightly drone operations attributed to Iran, which Saudi officials say have intensified in recent weeks.

The drone barrage came hours after Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, shared a notice attributed to Iran’s military command asserting that the aircraft being used in attacks were not Iranian systems.

According to the statement cited by Enayati, “the enemy” was deploying drones disguised as Iranian-made Shahed drone under the name “Lucas drone,” an allegation that appeared aimed at deflecting responsibility for the strikes.

Saudi authorities did not comment on the claim.

Saudi defense officials said the latest attacks raised the number of drones intercepted in the kingdom to more than 230 since the campaign began.

Defense Ministry statements also show that more than 30 missiles have been shot down during the same period.Other Gulf states have reported similar increases in aerial threats.

Authorities in Bahrain said their air defenses had intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones, with two people killed there and 24 others across the region.

The United Arab Emirates said its military had engaged 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and approximately 1,600 drones during the conflict, reporting six fatalities.

Officials across the Gulf say the attacks have followed a recurring pattern of overnight drone launches followed by relative calm during daylight hours.

The Guards said in a statement published on their official Sepah News website that Netanyahu would remain a target of Iran’s forces, accusing him of responsibility for the deaths of civilians amid the ongoing conflict.

“If this child-killing criminal is alive, we will continue to pursue and kill him with full force,” the IRGC said, referring to the Israeli premier.

The statement reflects a sharp escalation in language from Iran’s elite military force as the confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the United States widens. Iranian officials have repeatedly accused Israel of attacks against Iranian interests and leadership figures, while Israel says it is acting to neutralize threats posed by Tehran and its regional allies.

.The IRGC, which answers directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader and wields significant influence over the country’s military operations abroad, has often issued warnings against Israeli leadership during periods of heightened tensions.

The threat comes as the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed forces has expanded beyond their borders, drawing in the United States and affecting multiple countries across the Middle East.

Regional tensions have surged following a series of strikes and counter-strikes involving Israeli forces, Iranian military assets and allied groups.

Governments and international organizations have warned that the conflict risks further destabilizing an already volatile region.

Netanyahu has been a central figure in Israel’s security policy toward Iran, repeatedly warning about Tehran’s military capabilities and its support for armed groups across the Middle East.

Iranian leaders, in turn, have blamed Israel for attacks on Iranian personnel and infrastructure, including alleged covert operations targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities.

Her remarks came as Seoul and Washington proceeded with their annual joint military exercises, which the two allies say are designed to strengthen defensive readiness against potential threats from North Korea.

Kim Yo Jong described the military exercises as provocative and warned they could undermine security in the region. Statements from North Korean officials have frequently portrayed joint U.S.-South Korean military activities as rehearsals for invasion.

The criticism reflects longstanding opposition from Pyongyang to the annual exercises, which typically involve large-scale troop deployments and coordinated operations between the two militaries.

Officials in South Korea and the United States maintain that the drills are defensive in nature and aimed at ensuring readiness and coordination between allied forces.

The exercises form a central component of the long-standing military alliance between the two countries, which maintains a substantial U.S. troop presence on the Korean Peninsula.

Analysts say North Korea’s leadership remains focused on maintaining strong deterrence capabilities amid shifting geopolitical tensions. One analyst said Pyongyang is determined not to face the same fate as Iran amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and its allies.

The comments come as regional tensions remain elevated amid global security concerns and ongoing military activity across several geopolitical flashpoints.

-Israeli war with Iran pushed global oil prices above $100 a barrel and intensified military and diplomatic tensions across the Middle East.Iran’s Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body responsible for selecting the supreme leader, said it had voted decisively to appoint Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third leader of the Islamic Republic, according to a statement issued shortly after midnight Tehran time.

Mojtaba Khamenei replaces his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in one of the first strikes launched against Iran during the conflict that erupted more than a week ago between Iran and a U.S.-Israeli alliance.The supreme leader holds ultimate authority over Iran’s political system, armed forces and strategic decision-making.

Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric known to wield influence within Iran’s security establishment and the vast economic networks built during his father’s rule, had long been viewed as a leading contender to succeed the elder Khamenei.The Assembly of Experts said the vote followed deliberations over the succession after the death of the longtime leader.

The appointment signals continuity in Iran’s ideological leadership during a period of escalating military confrontation.Iran’s armed forces leadership pledged allegiance to the new supreme leader following the announcement, reinforcing the authority of the office at a moment when the country is engaged in active conflict with regional and Western adversaries.The war has already produced significant military and economic repercussions. Oil markets reacted sharply, with U.S. crude futures surging more than 20% amid fears the conflict could disrupt energy flows from the Middle East, a region that accounts for a substantial share of global oil supply.

U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier suggested Washington should influence the selection of Iran’s next leader, remarks that risked inflaming tensions further.“If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” Trump told ABC News on Sunday when asked about the succession.

After Mojtaba Khamenei was named, Trump declined to comment directly on the appointment in an interview with the Times of Israel, saying only, “We’ll see what happens.”Trump also told the newspaper that any decision to end the war would be made jointly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Israel had previously warned it could target whoever emerged as Iran’s next supreme leader, underscoring the stakes surrounding the succession during wartime.

The military confrontation has continued to escalate across the region. Israel struck major fuel storage facilities near Tehran as part of its campaign against Iranian infrastructure.Iran has also launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. facilities in the Middle East.The U.S. military said a seventh American service member had died from wounds sustained during Iran’s initial counter-attack a week ago. The announcement came a day after Trump oversaw the return to the United States of the remains of six other U.S. personnel killed in the same attack.Amid mounting security concerns, Washington on Sunday ordered the departure of non-emergency employees from its embassy in Saudi Arabia, the latest drawdown of American diplomatic staff in the region as the conflict deepens.

The Iranian amphibious landing vessel IRIS Lavan docked in Kochi on Wednesday following an urgent request from Tehran, according to an Indian government source familiar with the matter. The docking occurred the same day a U.S. submarine struck the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast, killing at least 87 people, officials said.Speaking at the annual Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Jaishankar said the vessel and two accompanying ships had originally been scheduled to attend a fleet review in India but were caught amid the rapidly deteriorating security environment in the region.“We really approached it from the point of view of humanity,” Jaishankar said, referring to India’s decision to allow the vessel entry despite the complex legal and geopolitical circumstances. “I think we did the right thing.”humanitarian docking amid naval escalationAccording to the Indian government source, New Delhi received Tehran’s request on Feb. 28, the day hostilities between Iran and the United States and its allies intensified.

The request said the Lavan had developed technical issues and required urgent assistance.The ship’s 183 crew members have since been accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi while repairs are assessed, the source said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.The docking highlights India’s attempt to balance humanitarian obligations with its broader diplomatic relationships as tensions in the Indian Ocean region rise.U.S. strike sinks Iranian frigateThe Lavan’s arrival coincided with the sinking of the Dena, an Iranian frigate that had earlier participated in naval activities linked to India. The vessel was struck approximately 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s coast, outside the island nation’s territorial waters but within its exclusive economic zone, officials said.The attack was carried out by a U.S. submarine as part of the widening conflict launched by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel against Iran, Washington has said. Trump previously stated that degrading Iran’s naval capabilities was among the objectives of the military campaign.The Dena, a domestically built frigate commissioned in 2021 and capable of carrying anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles, had been returning from naval activities associated with India shortly before the strike. Regional response and rescue efforts.

Sri Lankan authorities said they were escorting another Iranian naval vessel, the IRIS Booshehr, to a harbour on the country’s eastern coast. Most of its crew members were being transferred to a navy camp near Colombo as a precaution, officials said.The incident has underscored growing security risks in the Indian Ocean as the conflict between Washington and Tehran spreads beyond the Middle East into critical maritime routes linking South Asia and the Persian Gulf.India has not commented on the broader military developments but officials said its decision to assist the Iranian vessel was based solely on humanitarian considerations.