WATCH: Moment Trump makes joke about Pearl Harbour during meeting with Japan's PM

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In a move that goes totally against the adage of “don’t mention the war”, Trump asked Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi why she “didn’t warn him” about the attack that launched America’s involvement in the Second World War.

The strange question came after a reporter asked the US president why he didn’t tell his allies ahead of launching a wave of strikes on Iran last month.

Trump initially said the US “didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise.”

Read more: 'They're getting nicer now but it's too late': Trump blasts NATO over Strait of Hormuz as he says allies 'aren't pulling their weight'

He then added: “Who knows better about surprise than Japan?”

After being met with muted laughter, he turned to Takaichi, who was born two decades after Japan attacked the air base, and asked: “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK?”

Audible groans could be heard in the room as Trump brought up the 1941 attack that left 2,400 American servicepeople dead.

“He’s asking me about surprise, and we did,” Trump went on.

“And because of that surprise, we knocked out ... we probably knocked out 50 percent ... and much more than we anticipated doing. So if I go and tell everybody about it, there's no longer a surprise.”

Trump went on to praise Japan’s involvement in his war on Iran as he once again hit out at the UK and its allies for refusing to join the conflict.

Launching another attack on his allies, the President said: "We're defending the Strait for everyone else, then in the case of NATO, they don’t want to help us defend the Strait and they’re the ones that need it.

"Now they’re getting much nicer because they’re seeing my attitude but as far as I’m concerned its too late.

"The UK wants to send aircraft carriers now. I said I want the aircraft carriers before the war, I don’t want them after the war is won.

"They want to send me aircraft carriers after the war is won, there's practically no one to shoot at them."

Speaking from the White House, the President described the war as an "excursion" which will be over "pretty soon."

He also claimed he thought the price of oil would have risen even higher despite the cost of a barrel reaching a new high since the war began.

On the subject of oil, Trump told reporters that a consequence of the conflict would be more expensive oil, but claimed he thought it would be "much worse."

The comments come after oil hit a new high on Thursday morning since the Iran war began. A barrel of Brent crude briefly hit $118.74, a high not seen since June 2022.

The price hike follows attacks on energy production facilities which have increased supply fears as tankers struggle to pass the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz.