<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> has defended his surprise attack on Iran by comparing it to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/pearl-harbour-attack-eightieth-anniversary-timeline/c378409e-1bd7-4cd5-9e1e-ea07304e1bcb" rel="" target="" title="Pearl Harbor"><span>Pearl Harbor</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-20-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/18fc26c3-7b96-4e44-859e-cfb9ccb3f31d#post=6517dc7a-f087-4c24-bbcf-a1518dbb97ac" rel="" target="" title="while he sat next to Japan's prime minister"><span>while he sat next to Japan's prime minister</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At an Oval Office press event, Trump was asked by a Japanese reporter why he didn't inform his allies about his war with Iran ahead of time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Who knows better about surprise than Japan?" Trump said.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/iran-usa-war-updates-donald-trump-allies-strait-of-hormuz-world-news/c9355a10-7f90-4327-b568-2fb9f8e0f0ec"><strong><span>Trump berates allies as he finds himself alone on Iran war</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"No, you believe in surprise, I think much more so than us, and we had to surprise them and we did."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sitting next to him, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/japan-election-prime-minister-sanae-takaichi-on-path-to-winning-majority-exit-polls-say/6e2a3759-a97b-48fa-a6d2-c35028c8067c" rel="" target="" title="Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi"><span>Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi</span></a><span> shifted in her seat and appeared to wince.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-pearl-harbor-japanese-prime-minister-sane-takaichi-usa-politics-news/3503f82c-91b9-466e-b287-0d8f09c74842" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Neither Trump nor Takaichi were alive at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump's son Eric posted video of the exchange on X with two laughing emojis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"One of the great responses to a reporter in history!" Eric Trump wrote.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump's reference to Pearl Harbor has been </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/japan" rel="" target="" title="widely reported in Japanese media"><span>widely reported in Japanese media</span></a><span> this morning.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He made the comment as he pressed Japan to "step up" in support for the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-20-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/18fc26c3-7b96-4e44-859e-cfb9ccb3f31d" rel="" target="" title="US's war in Iran"><span>US's war in Iran</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-neal-dunn-terminal-diagnosis-dead-by-june-mike-johnson-usa-politics-news/b598dc61-43f2-4a3a-aaa4-d522b0154a3e"><strong><span>'Dead by June': Trump announces congressman's private diagnosis</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have 45,000 soldiers in Japan," Trump said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have, we spend a lot of money on Japan so, and we've had that kind of relationship, so I expect, I'm not surprised, that they would step up."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Takaichi offered vague words of support but stopped short of any concrete commitments.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Only you … can achieve peace across the world," she said to Trump."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I am ready to reach out to many of the partners in the international community to reach our objectives together."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>So far none of America's major allies have committed military support for the US operations in Iran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, a military base in Hawaii, marked America's entry into </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world-war-ii" rel="" target="" title="World War II"><span>World War II</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The attack would prove to be a sore point between the two countries long after the war ended.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/hiroshima-bombing-80th-anniversary-tetsuko-missed-a-train/81a9d7b9-4534-47c3-b00b-d230666c2927"><strong><span>Missing a train saved Tetsuko's life. 140,000 others weren't so lucky</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>