Japan, U.S. Reaffirm Close Communication as Middle East Tensions Rise

Tokyo, March 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have agreed to maintain close communication as tensions escalate in the Middle East, Japan’s Defense Ministry said Monday. During a 30-minute phone call on Sunday night, Hegseth outlined the latest developments and offered an outlook for the region. Koizumi told Hegseth that maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz, is “of critical importance to the international community,” including Japan. Regarding the United States’ commitment to enhancing the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance, Hegseth said that the recent situation in the Middle East does not change the current posture of U.S. forces in Japan and that they remain fully prepared. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post that many countries, especially those that are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Strait of Hormuz, would be sending warships in cooperation with the United States to keep the strait open and safe. “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and others that are affected by this artificial constraint will send ships to the area,” Trump said. In the meantime, the United States would continue bombing coastal targets and sinking Iranian ships, he added. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]