Trump mistakenly refers to Japan as ‘Islamic Republic’ during NATO summit

While discussing regional security, Trump claimed that "111 missiles" had been fired by the "Islamic Republic of Japan" at the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, before

US President Donald Trump sparked attention on Wednesday after mistakenly referring to Japan as the “Islamic Republic of Japan” while speaking about missile attacks during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye.

While discussing regional security, Trump claimed that “111 missiles” had been fired by the “Islamic Republic of Japan” at the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, before stating that all of the missiles had been intercepted. The remark appeared to confuse Japan with Iran, amid ongoing tensions involving the United States and Iran.

The comment quickly drew attention because Japan is one of Washington’s closest allies and has maintained a longstanding security partnership with the United States. The two countries continue to strengthen defense cooperation in response to regional security challenges, including concerns related to China and North Korea.

Japan also maintains diplomatic relations with Iran, making Trump’s statement particularly notable during discussions focused on international security and geopolitical tensions.