Abe's visit to Iran may not produce desired results

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe concluded his first state visit to Iran, also the first by any Japanese prime minister in 41 years, on Friday at a time when Teheran is at loggerheads with Washington and dark clouds are gathering over the Persian Gulf. Acting as an intermediary between the United States and Iran, Abe hoped to reduce the tensions between the two countries and facilitate dialogue, according to Kyodo News Agency.

But, analysts say, given the limited influence of Tokyo on Teheran and the highly complicated nature of the US-Iran conflict, it would be difficult for Japan to produce any remarkable result, because it cannot prompt the US to lift the sanctions against Iran and create the right atmosphere for the two sides to hold talks to resolve their disputes.

In fact, Abe's high-profile visit to Iran could be part of his efforts to increase Japans' influence in the Middle East regardless of whether he succeeds in bringing the US and Iran to the negotiation table.