Watch the live broadcast: Trump meets with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi at the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — A meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi at the White House on Thursday originally seemed like an excellent opportunity to get President Donald Trump’s attention before he embarks on a trip to China.

The President is expected to hold a bilateral meeting at 11:15 a.m. EST. Watch the live stream in our video player above.

But now, the war in Iran and Trump’s unsuccessful call for Japan and other countries to help protect the Strait of Hormuz means China’s trip has been delayed, and Takaishi is likely to receive harsh criticism.

Read more: What to know about the Jones Act as Trump administration unveils 60-day waiver

Trump has repeatedly complained in front of cameras and online that US allies, including Japan, have rejected his request to help protect the waterway vital for transporting oil and gas.

“In fact, when we speak as President of the United States of America, the most powerful country in the world to ever exist, we don’t need anyone’s help!” Trump exclaimed on Truth Social after his initial call for help was rebuffed.

The Prime Minister admitted before leaving Japan that she expected her meeting with Trump to be “very difficult.” She and her ministers denied that Washington had officially requested Japanese warships to participate in the US-Israeli operation.

Japan, a key US ally in Asia, is one of the countries Trump mentioned on Tuesday when he criticized the lack of aid in the Strait of Hormuz before declaring the aid was not needed.

Read more: Trump’s failure to strong-arm allies on Iran shows that pressure is losing its effect

Kurt Campbell, a former US Deputy Secretary of State in the Biden administration who currently heads the Asia Group, said Trump is expected to put “enormous pressure” on Takaishi.

Campbell said he had never seen a meeting between the American and Japanese leaders carry such high risks. He said that in order to press for Japan’s interests, Takaishi would want to find a way to signal that Japan is part of the American plan in the Middle East.

“She will want to come out of that as a partner on this issue and realize that if she can do that, she can potentially translate that into the president listening more to Japan’s concerns about Taiwan or other issues,” Campbell said.

Restrictions on Japan’s involvement in Iran include a clause in its post-World War II constitution prohibiting the use of force except to defend its territory. The country’s army is called the Self-Defense Force.

Japan could help clear mines, and has had a “small naval presence” in the region as part of an anti-piracy mission for at least a decade, said Christopher Johnston, partner and head of the Asia Group’s defense and national security practice. But joining the American mission would require Takaishi to cross “an extremely high political bar to invoke collective self-defense,” something that has never been done before.

Takaishi wanted to focus on trade and security in the Indo-Pacific region

Takaishi, who first met Trump in October in Tokyo, is Japan’s first female prime minister and a protege of former leader Shinzo Abe, who developed a close relationship with Trump.

She is also a hardline conservative and long-time supporter of Taiwan, and her comments about Japan’s willingness to provide military support to the island have heightened tensions with China.

Before her meeting with Trump, Takaishi sought to focus on trade, strengthening US-Japan relations and security concerns. Japanese officials said that the two sides will work to deepen cooperation in the areas of regional security, vital minerals, energy, and dealing with China.

China considers self-governing Taiwan, which the United States depends on to produce computer chips, a sovereign territory and has said it would seize it by force if necessary.

But beyond questions about assistance in the Strait of Hormuz, the global fallout from the Iran war has also put the Japanese leader in a more difficult position with Trump as she seeks to ensure US commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.

Japan considers China a growing security threat and has pushed to strengthen its military forces in the southwestern islands near the East China Sea. But the United States moved some of its forces stationed in Japan to the Middle East, removing any barrier to China’s power.

Takaichi is expected to raise concerns about the troop changes with Trump because they come at the same time as China launches a slew of drills around Taiwan.

“This raises the possibility that — once again — the United States is distracted and entangled in the Middle East at a time when the problem of deterrence in East Asia has never been greater,” Johnston said.

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.