Japanese media report the U.S. has demanded that Japan reduce oil imports from Iran.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun said the U.S. government is pressing the Japanese government to cut oil imports from Iran, which has been refusing to halt its nuclear development program.

The Yomiuri Shimbun said at the request of the U.S., the Japanese government is discussing in detail with its domestic petroleum industry curtailing crude oil imports from Iran.

Also, Tokyo will request Washington to remove Japanese financial institutions that make transactions for Iranian oil payments from a list of individuals and entities that will face U.S. sanctions for doing business with the Middle Eastern country.

Japan’s daily crude oil imports from Iran stands at 350-thousand barrels, nine-point-eight percent of its total oil imports.