Japan, Others Ready to Support Safe Passage thru Hormuz

London, March 19 (Jiji Press)–Leaders from Japan and six other countries on Thursday expressed their readiness to support safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed. “We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait,” said a joint statement by the leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands. Canada later joined them. “We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the (Persian) Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces,” the statement said. It called on Iran to immediately stop laying mines, halt drone and missile attacks and cease obstructing commercial shipping in the Gulf. While the statement did not provide details of the “appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage,” it called on other countries to participate, stating, “We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.” The document also referred to “other steps” that will be taken to stabilize energy markets, including cooperation with some oil-producing nations to increase output. It made no mention of Israel, which had attacked Iranian natural gas and oil storage facilities. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]