US President Donald Trump made a notable gaffe on July 8, 2026, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ankara, Turkey, on the sidelines of a NATO summit. Trump stated that “the Islamic Republic of Japan” fired 111 missiles at the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln over the course of one hour, all of which were intercepted.

This statement appeared to confuse Japan, a long-time US ally, with Iran. The US Navy currently has 19 ships stationed around Iranian waters, including two aircraft carriers—the USS Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush—along with an amphibious assault ship carrying over 1,000 Marines, 14 destroyers, a cruiser, and an expeditionary sea base vessel.

Japan and the United States maintain a strong security alliance and have been enhancing cooperation to address regional threats from countries such as China and North Korea.

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