Japan’s Iron Lady navigates U.S. security asks amid Middle East tensions

During her first official visit to Washington, Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seeks to reassure the U.S.-Japan alliance while balancing Tokyo’s pacifist constraints as Washington asks for military help in the Middle East over Iran; she signals willingness to discuss permissible options—such as intelligence gathering or a maritime task force—without committing to active combat, aiming to preserve alliance cohesion amid an oil-supply crisis, U.S.-China tensions, and domestic sentiment.