Leaders of Japan's parties and senior ruling party officials are also taking a cautious approach to U.S. President Donald Trump's request to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Japan's NHK and Agence France-Presse on the 15th, Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Kobayashi Takayuki said on an NHK-hosted political debate program that "at this point, the government has not determined that this falls under a 'survival-threatening situation' or an 'important influence situation,'" adding, "Under Japan's current legal framework, sending Self-Defense Force vessels to the Middle East is a very high bar."
"Legally, we are not ruling out the possibility, but given that a war is currently underway, we must examine this very cautiously," Kobayashi added.
Nippon Ishin, which forms a coalition government with the LDP, also said, "Japan is calling on Iran to stop attacks on neighboring countries, but naturally there are things we must ask of the United States as well to bring the situation under control." The remark is being interpreted to mean that Iran alone cannot be held responsible for the war with Iran.
An opposition Democratic Party for the People panelist said, "In the U.S.-Japan summit, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi must confirm exactly what the United States is requesting."
The panelist continued, "Given the legal framework, we need to decide while confirming public opinion through Diet debate on what Japan can and cannot do," adding, "We must respond carefully and meticulously, taking into account how Japan will be seen by the international community."
The Centrist Reform Coalition (Constitutional Democratic Party + Komeito) also said, "We would like to ask Prime Minister Takaichi never to take on anything unreasonable."
On the 14th, President Trump said the U.S. Navy would soon begin escorting oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and asked allies, including Japan, to provide warships. Japan has the world's fourth-largest economy and imports 95% of its crude oil from the Middle East. Of that, 70% passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Under Japan's Constitution, overseas deployments are politically sensitive. Prime Minister Takaichi told the Diet last week that "no decision has yet been made on whether to send warships to the Middle East." Takaichi plans to visit Washington this week for talks with President Trump. The meeting is expected to focus on the war with Iran and Asia-Pacific security issues.