Top Japanese and U.S. officials on Saturday discussed cooperation on energy security at a time when oil and gas shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively halted due to the ongoing US-Israeli military operation against Iran.
With Japan sourcing approximately 90 percent of its crude oil imports from the Middle East, and more than 70 percent of those supplies transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, the crisis has raised serious concerns over Japan’s energy security. The Japanese government is internally weighing how to respond if the United States requests security cooperation under the alliance framework.
Takayuki Kobayashi, policy chief of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, told public broadcaster NHK that the threshold is “extremely high” to send Japanese warships to the Hormuz region. The government is also considering comprehensive measures to mitigate the impact of rising oil prices on utility bills.
