Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said a visit by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is being considered, the first official confirmation that a trip by him could take place.
Abe did not say when Rouhani would make the trip, though diplomatic sources said earlier that sometime around Dec. 20 is likely. It would come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States over a 2015 nuclear deal, with Japan seeking to play a mediating role.
A visit by Rouhani is "under discussion," Abe said when asked about it at a news conference Monday marking the end of the extraordinary Diet session.