Japan Says Decision on Sending Warships to Strait of Hormuz Is Unclear

(MENAFN) Japan has not yet been asked by the United States to send naval forces to the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday, noting that the issue remains uncertain.

Addressing lawmakers, Takaichi said it would be premature to provide a clear answer regarding the deployment of Japanese naval vessels to the region. “We are currently considering what we can do to protect Japanese-related vessels and the lives of their crews within the scope of Japanese law,” she told parliament.

Her remarks came after US President Donald Trump urged allied countries, including Japan, to consider sending warships to operate alongside American naval forces in order to help safeguard the critical maritime corridor.

The Strait of Hormuz has drawn heightened attention in global energy markets after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared the passage largely closed to shipping amid ongoing military strikes by Israel and the United States against Iran that began on Feb. 28, according to reports.

Before the escalation, roughly 20 million barrels of crude oil moved through the narrow waterway every day. Disruptions to this vital route have contributed to rising global oil prices.

Reports indicate that the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran have resulted in about 1,300 deaths, including the country’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

In response to the strikes, Iran has carried out retaliatory drone and missile attacks targeting locations in Israel, Jordan, Iraq, as well as several Gulf states hosting American military facilities.

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