Japan said it will closely watch the situation regarding the U.S. and Israel's airstrikes on Iran, citing the "national interest." Because Middle East dynamics are directly tied to energy security, Tokyo appears to be raising its response level.
The Foreign Ministry said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on the 28th that "the situation in the Middle East has a major impact on Korea from the perspective of energy security," adding, "We will keep a close eye on developments with a strong focus, taking into account the perspective of the national interest."
The ministry also said it "will closely communicate with relevant countries and others and gather information."
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ordered exhaustive information gathering and measures to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals. The Foreign Ministry said an "information liaison office on the situation in Iran" has been set up at the prime minister's office to collect related information.
Takaichi was visiting Ishikawa Prefecture on Honshu that day, but she was directing response measures and said she would receive briefings from ministers of relevant agencies as soon as she returned to Tokyo. She emphasized, "The Japanese government will take every possible response to prepare for all risks."
The Japanese government is expected to convene a National Security Council (NSC) meeting as early as that night. According to Kyodo News, Takaichi visited Kanazawa in the evening that day to campaign in support of the Ishikawa governor's election.
At the campaign site, she said, "Something big happened in Iran," adding, "So I hesitated to get on the plane." She went on, "For a long time, while watching various moves, we have been taking steps to evacuate all our nationals living in Iran to other countries."
Kyodo News reported that about 200 Japanese nationals are staying in Iran and that no damage has been confirmed so far. The Japanese government is reportedly considering evacuating its nationals to Azerbaijan.
Iranian authorities detained the Tehran bureau chief of Japan's public broadcaster NHK last month and have not yet released the person, according to reports.