Tehran, Iran. Iran is ready to allow Japan-related vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and has begun talks with Tokyo about possibly reopening the waterway, Kyodo news reported, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Japan’s foreign and trade ministries and the Prime Minister’s Office did not pick up calls from Reuters on Saturday seeking comment on the report.
Talks with Japan on passage through the strait
Araqchi told Kyodo in a phone interview on Friday that Tehran had started talks with Tokyo, including with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, about possibly opening the strait. He said Iran is ready to support the passing of Japan-related vessels through the Strait of Hormuz if Japan seeks its reopening.
Oil shipments and impact of the war
Japan gets around 90% of its oil shipments via the strait, which Tehran has largely closed during the US-Israeli war on Iran. The war entered its fourth week on Saturday, and a spike in global oil prices has prompted Japan and other countries to release oil from their reserves.
US pressure and Japan’s legal constraints
US President Donald Trump met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday and urged her to “step up” as he presses allies to send warships to help open the strait. Takaichi told reporters after the Washington summit that she had briefed Trump on what support Japan could and could not provide in the strait under its laws.
Japan’s actions are limited under its postwar pacifist constitution, but 2015 security legislation allows Japan to use force overseas if an attack, including on a close security partner, threatens Japan’s survival and no other means are available to address it.
Araqchi’s comments on relations and the path to ending the war
Araqchi, a former ambassador to Japan, said Tokyo has a friendly relationship with Tehran and expressed hope that it would play a role in ending what he called an unjustifiable and illegal “invasion” of his country.
He said the United States does not seem ready to open conversations, adding that Iran wants an end to the war, not a ceasefire, and is seeking a commitment that it would not be attacked.
What role should Japan play in efforts related to the Strait of Hormuz under its legal constraints?
