March 23, 2026 | 10:17 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Japan on Monday, March 23, 2026, denied the claim made by the United States envoy to the UN, Mike Waltz, that the Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, had committed to deploying part of its navy for operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
During a press conference in Tokyo, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minoru Kihara, stated, "It's not true that Japan made a concrete promise" regarding the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
He mentioned that during the meeting with Takaichi in Washington on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump requested contributions from Japan, as reported by Jiji Press, according to Anadolu.
On Sunday, Waltz claimed in an interview with CBS News: "We just had the Japanese Prime Minister commit to portions of her navy and the Japanese navy, 80 percent of what is coming out of the Gulf is going to Asia."
"So we are seeing our allies come around as they should, but at the same time, the president (Trump) is not going to stand for this regime, as it has threatened and tried for five decades to hold the world's energy supplies hostage," he said.
Tokyo also hinted at the possibility of deploying Self-Defense Forces for mine sweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire is achieved between Iran, the U.S., and Israel.
"Let's say (in case of a) ceasefire, and in the event that mines pose an obstacle, we may have to think about it," said Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, referring to the potential deployment of the Self-Defense Forces.
However, Motegi, who attended the Japan-U.S. summit talks in Washington last Thursday, stated that "no specific promises" were made, and no issues requiring further consideration arose in Tokyo.
The U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28, with Tehran responding through repeated drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. military assets.
Japan imports around 90 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East, most of which passes through the narrow waterway.
Read: US Says Japan May Join Effort to Secure Strait of Hormuz Amid Tension
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