Japan has expressed strong disapproval of comments made by US President Donald Trump, who likened recent US military actions in Iran to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that concluded World War II.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Trump stated, “That hit ended the war. I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don’t want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing.”

The atomic bombings in August 1945 resulted in the deaths of approximately 140,000 individuals in the two Japanese cities. Many survivors continue to face lasting psychological effects and increased risks of cancer.

Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki responded to Trump’s remarks, saying, “If [Trump’s] comments justify the dropping of the atomic bomb, it is extremely regrettable for us as a city that was bombed.”

Mimaki Toshiyuki, co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning advocacy group Nihon Hidankyo and a survivor of the atomic bomb, described Trump’s recent comments as “unacceptable,” according to public broadcaster NHK. Another group member, Teruko Yokoyama, expressed her discontent, stating, “I’m really disappointed. All I have is anger,” as reported by Kyodo News.

On Thursday, atomic bomb survivors held a protest in Hiroshima, calling for Trump to retract his statement. Additionally, lawmakers in Hiroshima passed a resolution rejecting any justification for the use of atomic bombs, advocating for peaceful resolutions to armed conflicts.

When questioned about whether Tokyo would file a complaint regarding Trump’s remarks, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa noted that Japan has consistently communicated its stance on atomic bombs to Washington.

Trump’s comments came in response to a leaked intelligence report suggesting that U.S. strikes on Iran had only temporarily delayed its nuclear program. He asserted that the strikes “obliterated” the program and set it back “decades,” a claim supported by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Japan remains the only nation to have experienced a nuclear attack, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki continue to evoke deep historical trauma. In Hiroshima, a peace flame symbolizing the country’s opposition to nuclear weapons has burned since the 1960s, while a clock marking the days since the last nuclear attack is prominently displayed at a war museum. World leaders visiting Hiroshima are also encouraged to make paper cranes as a gesture of commitment to peace.