Japan pledges to pursue all diplomatic efforts in the Strait of Hormuz
Istanbul (ANTARA) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday that Tokyo would undertake “all possible diplomatic efforts” to ease tensions around the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel war with Iran.
“We continue to work with the international community and will make all possible diplomatic efforts,” Takaichi told parliament, according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News.
The statement came after her summit meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington last week.
Trump has demanded that Japan deploy naval forces to join US military operations to open the Strait of Hormuz, which is under Iran’s effective control.
Nearly 90% of Japan’s energy supplies pass through this critical waterway, Japanese ships remain affected, and Tokyo has begun releasing strategic oil reserves to meet domestic demand.
In her summit with the US president, Takaichi told parliament members that Trump stated “ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz is very important” and requested contributions from Japan and other countries regarding navigation safety.
“I responded by saying that I also recognise that ensuring navigation safety is important from the perspective of stable energy supplies and explained in detail what can and cannot be done within the scope of our country’s laws,” Takaichi said, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Japan’s constitution, which renounces war, does not permit it to join combat abroad.
Separately, Kyodo News reported that Tokyo is “considering purchasing” crude oil from Kazakhstan.
Japan’s state-backed oil and gas exploration firm, Inpex Corp., which holds rights to crude oil in Kazakhstan, “may divert some to Japan,” the report said.
“However, transporting crude oil from Kazakhstan to Japan is likely to take longer due to the greater distance, and procurement costs may also be relatively higher,” the report stated.
The report added that Inpex “is also considering doing business with Azerbaijan and Australia, where they also hold rights to crude oil and natural gas.”
Regional escalation in the Middle East has intensified since the joint US and Israel attack on Iran on 28 February, which to date has killed more than 1,300 people, including Iran’s then-supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage as well as disrupting global markets and aviation.
Tehran has also imposed control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy and other supplies to much of Asia.
Source: Anadolu