Japan PM heading to Middle East as planned, warship dispatch ordered
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will go ahead with a planned trip to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman from the weekend despite heightened tensions in the Middle East, while Tokyo also dispatched a warship and patrol planes to the region.
TV Asahi had reported the trip would be canceled following the U.S. killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and a retaliatory missile attack by Iran on U.S. forces in Iraq.