The foreign minister of Japan, Taro Kono, says he urges Iran to abide by the nuclear deal in order to ease tension in the middle east.

Before meeting with Mohammad Javad Zarif, his Iranian counterpart, Kono said on Tuesday: “We are worried about tension in the Middle East and we hope to make some diplomatic effort to ease the tension.” He then told Zarif: “So we wanted to have a direct and frank conversation with you today."

Zarif welcomed Kono’s visit and said that both countries have interests in providing security for the energy market and stability in the Persian Gulf.

Japan is an ally of the United States but has a long and cordial relation with Iran.

Prior to this visit, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo of Japan had also tried to mediate between Iran and the United States but was rejected by the leader of the Islamic Republic.

During the G7 summit in France, President Macron tried to broker a meeting between President Trump and President Rouhani. President Trump has announced that he is open to the meeting, but Rouhani has repeatedly said that lifting the sanctions is a prerequisite for any negotiation.

According to President Macron, however, Rouhani has also said that he is willing to negotiate with Trump. Yesterday, President Rouhani hinted that in order to make the lives of Iranian people better, he would be willing to meet with anyone.

Trump and Rouhani will both speak at the UN General Assembly next month.