President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that the United States had joined Japan in a rare, coordinated intervention to support the Japanese yen, describing the move as a "signal of friendship" after the currency slid to its weakest level in roughly 40 years.

The Financial Times first reported Friday that the U.S. Treasury had jointly intervened with Japan to prop up the yen, marking what the report described as the first coordinated U.S.-Japan currency intervention since 1998. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump explained the rationale behind Washington's involvement. "Because we have a good relationship with Japan," Trump said, when asked why the United States moved to support Japan's currency. He went on to characterize the broader benefits of the intervention. "We're very strong — very very strong financially. They are, you know, they have a weakening yen, and they wanted a little bit of help. And we're always there for Japan," Trump said, adding that the U.S. would see "financial benefit" from the move and that "it's also good for the world economy," though he emphasized that "it was really more than anything else, it was a signal of friendship."

Japan's Ministry of Finance confirmed the joint intervention in its own statement following Trump's remarks, describing the action as necessary to address........

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