Japan welcomes US-Iran deal and seeks secure Hormuz navigation

Japan said the US-Iran memorandum could help ease risks to both the Japanese and global economies if it is carried out, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi welcomed the peace deal on Monday (June 15) as “a major step toward bringing the situation to a close.”

Writing on X, Takaichi said: “I strongly hope that the memorandum will be steadily implemented, that free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz will be effectively secured, and that a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear issue and other outstanding matters will be reached as soon as possible.”

She described the agreement as “the result of the parties’ commitment to a diplomatic solution and their persistent efforts in negotiations,” while also highly commending “the efforts of the countries that have played a mediating role throughout this process.”

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan would continue working diplomatically for peace and stability across the Middle East, saying Tokyo “will continue to make every diplomatic effort toward the realisation of peace and stability throughout the Middle East region” in close coordination with the international community.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference that the steady implementation of the memorandum would reduce downside risks for Japan and the world economy.

Asked whether Japan might send Self-Defence Forces personnel to the Strait of Hormuz, Kihara said: “Nothing has been decided.”

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]