Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump are meeting and talking at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit held in Ankara, Turkiye, on the 8th (local time). EPA Yonhap News

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to misspeak at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit press conference, mistakenly saying ‘the Islamic Republic of Japan (the Islamic Republic of Japan)’ when attempting to refer to Iran.

The British daily the Guardian reported on the 8th (local time) that a string of Trump verbal slips continued at the NATO meeting.

At the press conference, while referring to a missile attack by Iran that had been aimed at the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, he said, “the Islamic Republic of Japan launched it.” He had intended to say the official name of Iran, ‘the Islamic Republic of Iran,’ but said Japan instead of Iran.

At a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump pointed at Zelensky and asked reporters, “Do you have a question for President Putin?” As the room began murmuring, he pointed at Zelensky again and added, “I did not mean President Zelensky; I meant, do you have a question for President Putin. I mean I will ask President Putin later.” Zelensky, seated beside him, gave a wry smile.

Trump also mentioned the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and mistakenly called Khamenei “Khomeini.” Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini led the 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution and was the Supreme Leader of Iran before Khamenei.

During his meeting with President Zelensky, Trump also criticized the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) concluded by former U.S. President Barack Obama and European countries, but misspoke and called it “JCPOC.”