Japan foreign minister urges Iran to show flexibility in standoff with U.S.

TOKYO — Japan's foreign minister urged Iran to show "flexibility" during phone talks with his counterpart on Saturday, his ministry said, with the standoff between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz closure continuing.

The 20-minute call between Toshimitsu Motegi, who is visiting Kenya, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took place as Tehran is reported to have presented to the United States a new proposal for negotiations to end the war via mediator Pakistan.

According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Araghchi briefed Motegi on the current situation, including the exchanges between the United States and Iran, and the outlook.

In response, Motegi stated that Japan has "strong expectations" that the current ceasefire will hold and that U.S.-Iran talks will resume at an early date and lead to a final agreement, while calling on Iran to show "maximum flexibility," the ministry said.

Motegi also stressed the importance of ensuring that vessels of all countries can pass freely and safely through the Strait of Hormuz and called for the swift passage of remaining ships after Japan-related vessels recently transited the waterway.

The talks were held at Tehran's request and the ministers agreed to maintain close communication, according to the Japanese ministry. They previously held phone talks on April 15.

A ceasefire between Washington and Tehran has been in place since early April, but no breakthrough has been seen so far in the negotiations and global oil supply disruptions continue following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy chokepoint.

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