Updated May 27, 2019 - World

Iran tension: Trump supports Japan's efforts to talk with Tehran

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) after their bilateral meeting at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo.

President Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo: Eugene Hoshiko/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump told a Tokyo news conference Monday he supports Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to potentially open a dialogue between the U.S. and Iran.

"I know that the prime minister and Japan have a very good relationship with Iran so we’ll see what happens. The prime minister’s already spoken to me about that and I do believe that Iran would like to talk — and if they’d like to talk, we’d like to talk also. We’ll see what happens ... nobody wants to see terrible things happen, especially me."

Why it matters: Both U.S. and Iranian officials have said they don't want war. U.S. officials have made repeated but unspecific claims of possible impending Iranian attacks. Trump's latest remarks strike a more conciliatory tone compared to when he tweeted last week, "If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran."

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