Japan is preparing for high-level talks with Iran as tensions in the Middle East heat up and US pressure on Tehran becomes more open. For Tokyo, this is not just a diplomatic affair. The clogged Strait of Hormuz could directly shake its oil supply.
Based on a report by Kyodo News quoted on Monday, April 6, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday that her government was arranging a dialogue at the leader's level with Iran. The statement was made in parliament when he answered questions from opposition members about Japan's diplomatic steps amid the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
"We are preparing a dialogue at the level of leaders at the right time," Takaichi was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. He added that Japan would make every effort to restore peace. However, he did not mention who the Iranian leader would be invited to meet.
Japan's move was born out of very real interests. More than 90 percent of Japan's crude oil imports come from the Middle East. Most of the supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world energy shipments that is now de facto closed by Iran. The impact is already being felt: supply concerns are rising, oil prices are being pushed.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump extended a pause in threats of attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure. The deadline for Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz was shifted from Monday to Tuesday.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Trump said Iran would lose power plants and other facilities across the country if it continued to shut down the pipeline. He also wrote on social media, "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!" without further explanation.
Japan's position is not simple. Tokyo is a close ally of Washington, but has also been known to maintain relatively good relations with Iran. Therefore, the path of dialogue that Japan is now preparing shows that Tokyo is trying to contain the crisis from getting wilder, at least in the most decisive path for its interests, namely energy.
Japan has previously condemned Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Tehran's attacks on other countries in the Middle East in response to US-Israeli attacks. However, the Takaichi government has not yet given a legal assessment of the Israeli and US military operations against Iran.
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