ISTANBUL

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday said she would hold "candid talks” with US President Donald Trump over the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

The Japanese prime minister is expected to fly to Washington later this month for a summit with Trump.

Speaking at parliament, Takaichi said her government could not make a legal assessment at this stage and refrained from commenting on whether the US and Israeli strikes violated international law, according to Kyodo.

Since Saturday, joint US-Israeli strikes have killed several senior Iranian officials, including its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

Tehran responded with drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked sites in Gulf countries. Six US service members have been killed and several others seriously wounded.

According to the Iranian Red Crescent on Tuesday, the death toll from US and Israeli airstrikes since Saturday has risen to 787.