Japan proposed Iranian oil, U.S. grain swap in failed initiative

The administration of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in a bid to ease tensions between Iran and the United States, secretly proposed the barter of Iranian crude oil for U.S. grain via Japan last year, according to government sources.Two government sources confirmed to Kyodo News that the proposal was formally made in June 2019 when Abe made a visit to Iran -- the first by a Japanese prime minister 41 years -- in an attempt to serve as a mediator between Iran and the United States.In his June 12 meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Abe officially proposed the barter deal worth…READ FULL ARTICLE