Iran is ready to permit Japanese-linked vessels safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Kyodo News reported, citing Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, according to Reuters.
In a phone interview with the Japanese news agency on Friday, Araqchi said that Tehran has initiated discussions with Tokyo, including with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, concerning the possibility of reopening the strait.
“Iran is, of course, ready to support the passing of Japan-related vessels through the Strait of Hormuz,” if Japan seeks its reopening of the strait, Araqchi told Kyodo.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
One of the US-Israel strikes had killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His killing has raised critical questions concerning Iran’s future.
The Strait of Hormuz
As a critical maritime chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz handles approximately a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and roughly one‑fifth of all liquefied natural gas flows.
Due to the escalating tensions, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that the waterway was unsafe. Therefore, the authorities halted ship movements.
Japan sources roughly 90% of its oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
The disruption has caused a remarkable surge in global oil prices, prompting Tokyo and other nations to tap strategic reserves as the conflict enters its fourth week on Saturday.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as part of his intensified efforts of pressing allies to deploy warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to reporters after the Washington summit, Takaichi said she had explained to Trump the scope of Japan’s potential involvement in the reopening of the strait —noting both the assistance Tokyo could offer and the constraints imposed by its legal framework.
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Trump Calls for Naval Coalition to Secure Strait of Hormuz
US CENTCOM Warns Iran over Unsafe Actions in Hormuz
Trump Slams NATO Allies Over Refusal to Join Iran War Effort
