The prime ministers of Japan and Australia have agreed to deepen cooperation in areas such as energy security, defense and critical minerals as the Iran war threatens global supply chains. The agreement was reached during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's first visit as national leader. They discussed issues such as China, Southeast Asia, Pacific Island countries, nuclear issues and North Korea. Australia provides almost half of Japan's liquefied natural gas and Japan is one of Australia's top five suppliers of refined gasoline and diesel. The agreements also aim at China's control and manipulation of the global production of heavy rare earths, used for making powerful, heat-resistant magnets in industries like defense and electric vehicles.