22.03.2026 23:41
Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated that his country could send troops for mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz. However, Motegi also added that this would only be possible if a ceasefire is achieved in the Middle East.
Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, in a speech during a program he attended on the national Fuji TV channel, addressed the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran and the content of the meeting held between the leaders of Japan and the US earlier in the week.
"WE CAN SEND TROOPS TO THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IN A CEASEFIRE" Motegi noted that Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide explained the domestic legal restrictions regarding a potential shipment of vessels to the region to President Donald Trump during their meeting in the US earlier in the week, but stated that no "specific promise" was given to the US side.
Motegi Toshimitsu Motegi, who argued that his country has "the world's highest level of mine-clearing technology," indicated that if a ceasefire is achieved in the Middle East, units of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) could be dispatched for mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
Motegi stated, "If a complete ceasefire is achieved, hypothetically, issues such as mine-clearing could come to the agenda. This is entirely a hypothetical situation. However, if a ceasefire is achieved and naval mines pose an obstacle, then I think this is something that should be considered."
US President Trump had welcomed Japan's Prime Minister Suga at the White House on March 19.
90% OF JAPAN'S OIL CONSUMPTION DEPENDS ON MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES It is known that 90% of Japan's consumption, which began storing crude oil reserves in the 1970s, depends on oil-producing Middle Eastern countries. Japan has approximately 470 million barrels of oil reserves as of the end of 2025. This corresponds to about 250 days of the country's domestic consumption.
US-ISRAEL ATTACKS ON IRAN Israel and the US launched a military attack on Iran on February 28 while negotiations were ongoing between the Tehran and Washington administrations. Iran responded with attacks on targets it identified in several regional countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain, where US bases are located, in addition to Israel. In the US-Israel attacks, Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and many high-ranking officials were killed. According to Iranian officials, the death toll from the US-Israel attacks exceeded 1,348, and the number of injured surpassed 17,000.