WATCH : Trump mistakenly invents “Islamic Republic of Japan”

July 8, 2026 at 8:56 PM

US President Donald Trump mistakenly claimed that the “Islamic Republic of Japan” had fired 111 missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln, in an apparent mix-up between Japan and Iran.

Trump made the remarks during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in Ankara, while speaking about US missile defence systems.

“We had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan,” Trump said, adding that the missiles were aimed at the US aircraft carrier and were intercepted.

Reports said Trump appeared to be referring to an earlier incident involving Iranian forces, but incorrectly named Japan, a close US ally.

The comment came amid renewed tensions between the US and Iran, after Trump said the ceasefire with Tehran was “over” and warned of further military action. (Newswire)