Trump’s ‘Islamic Republic of Japan’ remark goes viral
ANKARA: US President Donald Trump appeared to misspeak while discussing Iran on Wednesday, referring to the country as the “Islamic Republic of Japan” during remarks on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.
Speaking alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said the “Islamic Republic of Japan” had fired 111 missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln before appearing to continue his remarks about Iran, prompting widespread attention online.
Video of the comments quickly circulated on social media, where users pointed to the apparent verbal mix-up between Iran and Japan.
The remarks came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following recent US military strikes on Iranian targets.
Trump also said he was dissatisfied with Iran’s actions, accused Tehran of launching drone attacks on US naval assets and warned that the United States could carry out additional strikes as early as Wednesday night.
The White House did not immediately comment on the apparent misstatement.