The Japanese government on Tuesday again dismissed a claim by the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. that Tokyo had committed to sending naval ships to the Middle East amid the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
¡°To my knowledge, Japan has not made any specific commitment,¡±?Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told a regular news conference.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz claimed on CBS¡¯ ¡°Face the Nation¡± hours earlier that Washington¡¯s partners, including Tokyo, were offering support for opening the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed by Iran.?
¡°We just had the Japanese prime minister commit to portions of her navy,¡± Waltz said following Prime Minister?Sanae Takaichi¡¯s visit to Washington on Thursday for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. ¡°Eighty percent of what is coming out of the Gulf is going to Asia. So we are seeing our allies come around as they should.¡±
But Koizumi reiterated that while Trump had requested ¡°contributions¡± from Japan and other countries during the summit, Takaichi had ¡°conveyed that there are things Japan can and cannot do within the scope of its domestic laws,¡± providing the U.S. leader with a detailed explanation.
On Monday, the Japanese government¡¯s top spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, said ¡°it is not true¡±?that Japan had made any promises.
The denials ¡ª as well as Trump¡¯s comments Saturday that Japan and others ¡°have to get involved a little bit¡± in securing the Strait of Hormuz ¡ª highlight apparent confusion between the allies over what exactly the Trump administration expects of Tokyo.
About 93% of Japan¡¯s imported crude oil flows through the strategic waterway, according to trade ministry data.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan ?could consider?deploying the Maritime Self-Defense Force for minesweeping in the strait, but only if a ceasefire is reached in the conflict.
¡°If there were to be a complete ceasefire, ?hypothetically speaking, ?then things like minesweeping could come up,¡±?Motegi said ?during a TV program. ¡°This is purely hypothetical, but if a ceasefire were established and naval mines were creating an obstacle, ?then I think that would be something to consider.¡±
In 1991, MSDF vessels were deployed for minesweeping operations in the Persian Gulf following a ceasefire deal in the Gulf War. The Japanese navy¡¯s minesweeping capabilities are regarded as among the best in the world.
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