In his meeting with President Hassan Rouhani, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, urged Iran to comply with its commitments to the nuclear deal and said Japan will do everything in its power to ensure the security of the Middle East.

In the meeting that took place in Tokyo on Friday, Abe emphasized: “Japan intends to make maximum effort to reduce tensions and stabilize the Middle East.

Abe hoped that Iran would “play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the region”.

Rouhani asked Abe to work with other countries in saving the nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

He continued: “The United States’ irresponsible exit from the JCPOA was an attack against an international agreement and peace and security which was neither beneficial for America nor any other party of the JCPOA, and it proved that sanctions have no result but lose-lose for everyone.”

Abe visited Iran earlier this year with a message from the United States and met with Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic.

But Ali Khamenei refused to accept the message and told Abe: “We have no doubt in your good intentions, but regarding the message you delivered from the president of the United States, I do not consider him personally worthy of any messages and have no response for him.”

Japan has always been one of the biggest customers of Iran’s oil.