JAKARTA - The US envoy to the UN, Mike Waltz, confirmed that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is committed to deploying part of its navy for operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Because so much energy is sent to Europe through the strait, the Japanese Prime Minister has just committed to deploying part of its navy, and 80 percent of the energy leaving the Gulf is sent to Asia," Waltz said in an interview with CBS News.
"So, we see our allies turning their backs as they should, but at the same time, the president (Donald Trump) will not tolerate this regime, because it has threatened and tried for five decades to hold the world's energy supply hostage," he added.
Tokyo has also hinted at the possibility of deploying the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) for mine clearance operations in the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire is reached between Iran, the US, and Israel.
"Japanese mine-sweeping technology is at the top level in the world. Let's say (if there is) an armistice, and if mines become an obstacle, we may need to consider it," said Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, referring to the potential deployment of the SDF.
Motegi, who attended the Japan-US summit in Washington last Thursday, said "no specific promises" were made and there were no issues that required further consideration in Tokyo.
The US-Israeli attack on Iran began on February 28, with Tehran retaliating with repeated drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and Gulf states hosting US military assets.
Japan imports about 90 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East, mostly through the Strait of Hormuz waterway.
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