Japan urges the US to show restraint in MidEast

Japan's prime minister on Thursday welcomed US President Donald Trump's overnight signal that Washington wouldn't retaliate for Iran's missile strikes on two Iraqi bases housing American troops.

Shinzo Abe said Japan welcomes self-restraint by all related parties.

The US and Iran may have stepped back from the brink of a possible war, but the region is still on edge.

Abe is scheduled to visit the Middle East this weekend, but Japanese media has been speculating he may cancel the trip due to the current instability in the region.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Thursday the government is monitoring the situation in the Middle East before making a decision on his overseas trip.