IRNA – Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabie announced that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to hold meeting with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

The trip is to be made within the framework of traditional and long-standing relations and in line with developing bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest, he said.

Abe's visit to Tehran will be the first visit to Iran by a Japanese leader over past four decades.

During his 3-day visit, the Japanese prime minister hopes to play a mediating role between Iran and the US to deescalate the tensions between the two countries, Kyodo news agency reported.

During a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump in Tokyo in late May, the Japanese premier said he would make efforts to facilitate dialogue between Tehran and Washington. His offer was welcomed by US president Donald Trump.

The US president unilaterally withdrew from a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran on May 8, 2018, re-imposing two rounds of sanctions on the country the second of which targeted Tehran's oil exports.

Exactly a year later, Iran announced that it would suspend some of its commitments under the deal in reaction to the US hostile measures.