Japan may consider sending its armed forces to demine the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil supplies, if a ceasefire is reached in the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Sunday (22).
“If there was a complete ceasefire, hypothetically speaking, then things like demining could emerge,” Motegi said during a Fuji TV program. “This is purely hypothetical, but if a ceasefire were established and they were creating an obstacle, then I think that would be something to consider.”
Japan’s military actions are limited by its pacifist postwar constitution, but 2015 security legislation allows Japan to deploy its Self-Defense Forces abroad if an attack, including against a close security partner, threatens Japan’s survival and there are no other means available to deal with the situation.
Tokyo has no immediate plans to pursue agreements that would allow stranded Japanese ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Motegi said, adding that it was “extremely important” to create conditions that would allow all vessels to sail through the lane, through which a fifth of the world’s oil shipments pass.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Japanese news agency Kyodo on Friday (20) that he had spoken with Motegi about the transfer of vessels linked to Japan through the strait.
Japan receives about 90% of its oil shipments through the strait, which Tehran has largely closed during the four-week war. A rise in global oil prices has prompted Japan and other countries to release oil from their reserves.
US President Donald Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday, urging her to “intensify efforts” as he presses allies – so far without success – to send warships to .
After the summit in Washington, Takaichi told reporters that he had briefed Trump on what types of support Japan could provide across the strait and what actions would not be authorized under its laws.
