3 min readJul 8, 2026 09:59 PM IST
First published on: Jul 8, 2026 at 09:47 PM IST
US President Donald Trump mistakenly referred to Iran as the “Islamic Republic of Japan” while discussing the conflict in West Asia during a press interaction at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday.
The verbal slip came as Trump defended recent US military strikes on Iran and declared that the interim ceasefire with Tehran was effectively “over”, while warning that Washington was prepared to launch more attacks if necessary.
What did Trump say?
Speaking to reporters, Trump was describing an Iranian missile attack on a US aircraft carrier when he appeared to mix up the two countries. “We have 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan. They were shot at the aircraft carrier over a period of about one hour,” Trump said.
He immediately continued describing Iran’s missile barrage, making it clear he was referring to the Islamic Republic of Iran rather than Japan.
Video clips of the remarks quickly spread across social media, with critics highlighting the mistake and some users reviving calls to invoke the 25th Amendment, which provides a constitutional mechanism for declaring a US president unable to discharge the duties of office. Those online reactions do not indicate any formal political effort to invoke the amendment.
Trump says Iran ceasefire is ‘over’
The gaffe came during a broader address in which Trump announced that he considered the interim US-Iran ceasefire effectively finished following fresh American strikes on Iranian military targets.
“For me, I think it’s over,” Trump said when asked about the status of the ceasefire, although he added that US negotiators could continue talks with Tehran if they wished.
The US launched strikes overnight after accusing Iran of attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated by targeting US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, while both sides continued exchanging warnings over the future of negotiations.
Fresh fears of escalation
Trump also warned that the US could launch another round of strikes against Iran, including on strategic infrastructure, if tensions continued to rise.
The renewed hostilities have raised concerns that the fragile diplomatic process between Washington and Tehran could collapse entirely, even as negotiations had been expected to resume after the funeral ceremonies for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The latest escalation has also renewed concerns over global energy markets, with attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz pushing oil prices higher amid fears of further disruption to one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.
(With inputs from AP)
US President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday. (AP Photo) 
Share
