Overview
- At a March 19 White House summit, President Donald Trump urged Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to "step up" on protecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands issued a joint statement expressing readiness to contribute to efforts ensuring safe passage.
- Takaichi said Tokyo is determining what actions are permissible within Japan’s legal framework, with no commitment yet to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces.
- Options under consideration include information-gathering missions, post-conflict minesweeping, and Japan Coast Guard support for evacuations rather than direct combat roles.
- Traffic through the waterway has slowed sharply during the Iran conflict; Japan relies on the route for about 90% of its oil imports and has begun its largest-ever strategic petroleum reserve drawdown, as Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed Iranian military defections and heavy degradation.