Japan calls for "utmost restraint" amid Israel-Iran conflict

A drone flies beside a damaged building following a strike by an Iranian missile in the Israeli city of Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, early on June 15, 2025. Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said any action that could further escalate the situation should be refrained from. - AFP

TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Monday (June 16) told his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi that all parties must exercise "utmost restraint" amid an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

During their phone talks, Iwaya said any action that could further escalate the situation should be refrained from, adding he is "deeply concerned about the current exchange of attacks spreading throughout the Middle East region," according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.