Arab News Japan

DUBAI: On Dec. 2, Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio held a telephone talk with Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s President, where he called on Iran to urge the Houthis to release the Japanese vessel that they seized. 

In  the 40-minute telephone call that took place during Kishida’s visit to Dubai, he stated that he condemns the seizure of the vessel that is operated by a Japanese company and calls for its early release. He also urges the Houthis to release its crew members and refrain from taking any action going forward. 

The two leaders also discussed the ongoing crisis in Gaza, where the Japanese Prime Minister welcomed the pause in fighting and the release of hostages while stressing the importance of calming down the situation as soon as possible. He called on Iran to play a greater role in deescalating the situation.

President Raisi explained to Kishida Iran’s stance on the current situation. The two leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine as well as Iran’s nuclear issue.