Trump mistakenly names 'Islamic Republic of Japan' as source of missile attack on US vessel

President Donald Trump erroneously attributed a missile attack on a US vessel to the "Islamic Republic of Japan," a country that does not exist, according to multiple reports. The gaffe occurred when Trump confused Iran with Japan while discussing the incident.

Infobae reported that Trump confused himself and attributed the missile attack to the "República Islámica de Japón." Elcomercio.pe added that the error was widely covered by Japanese media.

2 sources

InfobaeTrump se confunde y atribuye a la "República Islámica de Japón" un ataque con misileselcomercio.peTrump confunde a Irán con Japón al atribuir ataque con misiles a la inexistente "República Islámica de Japón"

"la inexistente 'República Islámica de Japón'"

The phrase refers to the non-existent "Islamic Republic of Japan," as Japan is a constitutional monarchy with no official religion. The mistake highlights a recurring tendency by Trump to mix up countries and geopolitical details during public remarks.

According to the reports, the misidentification came as Trump was discussing an Iranian missile strike against an American ship. Instead of correctly naming Iran, he substituted Japan, creating the imaginary state.

The slip has drawn attention particularly in Japan, where media outlets noted the unusual blunder. Neither Infobae nor elcomercio.pe provided further context on whether the White House later clarified the statement.