Japanese and Iranian foreign ministers call for restraint

Japan's foreign minister, Takeshi Iwaya, spoke by telephone with his Iranian counterpart, Mr. Araghchi, on Sunday, saying that "any action that could lead to further escalation of the situation should be restrained and all parties concerned should exercise maximum restraint." The two sides agreed to continue close dialogue for regional peace and stability. Mr. Araghchi argued that Israel had launched a pre-emptive strike to prevent Iran from reaching an agreement on its nuclear talks with the United States. Mr. Iwaya asked Iran to help protect Japanese nationals there, to which Mr. Araghchi responded by saying that "full cooperation will be provided." According to a foreign ministry source, Mr. Iwaya is also coordinating a phone call with Israel. (Kyodo News Agency, Japan)