Takaichi Speaks with Iranian President by Phone, Believed to Urge Dialogue, Free Movement in Strait of Hormuz

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:14 JST, April 8, 2026

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held telephone talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday, her first contact with a leader in that country since the United States and Israel launched strikes against it in late February.

In the 25-minute talks, Takaichi welcomed the two-week ceasefire agreed to by the United States and Iran, and called for Pezeshkian to solve the crisis through dialogue.

The prime minister also urged the Iranian leader anew to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, which his country has effectively been blocking.