President acknowledges Shinzo Abe’s close links to Tehran and says US ‘would like to talk’

Donald Trump has said he would support Shinzo Abe’s efforts to act as a mediator between the US and Iran, amid reports that the Japanese prime minister will visit Tehran next month for talks with president Hassan Rouhani.

Tehran says it has no interest in talking to the US administration, which has imposed tough sanctions on the country over its nuclear programme, and last week sent 1,500 troops to the region.