Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi has told US president Donald Trump that Tokyo is prepared to support efforts to promote global stability, as the two leaders agreed to maintain close coordination to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating conflict involving Iran, Kyodo News reports.

Following talks in Washington, the two governments also announced three business projects with a combined value of $73bn which now forms part of Japan’s broader $550bn commitment agreed last year in exchange for promised US tariff relief. They also unveiled and additional trio of agreements focused on critical minerals aimed at strengthening economic security.

Takaichi in her latest meeting with the US president said the discussions covered co-operation on expanding US energy production and included a proposal for a joint oil reserve initiative to address supply risks linked to the conflict. According to Kyodo, the leaders also reviewed Japan’s potential role in future maritime security operations, with Takaichi outlining the legal constraints imposed by the country’s pacifist constitution – an issue that has made headlines back in Japan over the past week.

The Japanese prime minister’s visit, her first to the US since taking office in October 2025, is aimed at strengthening personal ties with Trump while also reaffirming Washington’s security commitment to the Indo-Pacific. It was noted that unlike many of her predecessors who visited the US within weeks of taking office, Takaichi has waited almost six months.

The meeting came as Washington urged its allies to contribute to securing shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz amidst disruption caused by the ongoing conflict in the region. More than 90% of Japan’s crude oil imports currently pass through the Strait making it a crucial conduit for Tokyo.

President Trump also indicated that Japan had increased its engagement in recent days, contrasting this with what he described as limited support from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – a body he has repeatedly criticised in recent months. He also pointed to Japan’s continued purchases of military equipment from the US and long-standing strength of bilateral ties.

Among the newly announced projects is a $40bn nuclear power initiative to construct small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) in Tennessee and Alabama. Energy and economic security also featured in the talks with both sides reiterating their intention to deepen co-operation across a range of sectors.

The US-Japan talks took place against a backdrop of shifting US military priorities, with reports in the past week pointing to the deployment of the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and more than 2,000 Marines from Japan to the Middle East: a development that has raised a number of concerns in Tokyo about a potential weakening of US focus on the Indo-Pacific at a time of growing regional tensions involving China.