Trump explains why he kept Japan in the dark about attacks on Iran: “Why not

President Trump mentioned Pearl Harbor while sitting next to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office on Thursday, while explaining why the United States did not warn allies like Japan before attacking Iran.

A Japanese journalist asked Trump why the United States did not alert allies like Japan before Iran’s attacks, a decision the journalist said “confused” the Japanese. The president, in his response, said his administration “told no one” in advance about the Feb. 28 military action.

“Well, one thing is, you don’t want to do too much signaling, you know?” Mr. Trump said. “When we came in, we came in very forcefully. And we didn’t tell anyone because we wanted a surprise. Who knows better about surprises than Japan? Okay? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? Okay? Right?”

“We had to surprise them, and we did,” the president said of Iran. “…If I go and tell everyone, there will be no surprise anymore.”

Takaichi seemed taken aback by the president’s comments and her eyes widened momentarily. Takaichi speaks some English, but largely spoke through a translator at the event.

Later that day, the White House released a photo of the two leaders together, both with thumbs up.

Japan and the United States have been officially allies since 1952, although the scars of World War II took longer to heal in many cases.

In 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a somber visit to the Pearl Harbor memorial site with then-President Barack Obama. Abe offered his “sincere and eternal condolences” to the Americans who lost their lives in the Japanese surprise attack on December 7, 1941, and throughout World War II. Abe said he was “completely speechless” over the deaths of so many American service members. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

“On behalf of the Japanese people, I wish to once again express my sincere gratitude to the United States and the world for the tolerance extended to Japan.” Abe said At the moment. “…Japan and the United States, who fought a fierce war that will go down in the annals of human history, have become allies with strong ties rarely found in history.”

Trump also had strong ties with Abe, a friendship that has not been matched by more recent prime ministers. Abe was assassinated during a speech in Japan in 2022.