New Delhi, March 19 -- US President Donald Trump on Thursday (March 19) drew a controversial parallel between American strikes on Iran and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, as he defended his administration's war strategy during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Washington.

Responding to a question on why allies were not informed in advance, Trump emphasised the element of surprise in military operations.

"We wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?" Trump said.

"You believe in surprise, I think much more so than us," he added.

The remarks came during a bilateral meeting at the White House, highlighting the delicate diplomatic context of the comments....