US Defence Chief Hegseth lands in Japan ahead of WWII battle anniversary

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth lands in Japan to attend the 80th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima, his first official visit to the close ally. 

The Japanese government stated that “The ceremony was about "confirming post-war reconciliation between Japan and the United States and praying for further friendship through joint memorial and tribute activities for the war dead”. 

The World War II battle in the Pacific was the scene of five weeks of brutal combat between Japanese and US forces, in which nearly all of Japan's 21,000 troops were killed, while the US side saw more than 6,800 dead and 19,000 wounded.