KYODO NEWS 




 

 
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday urged Iran to seek a "diplomatic solution" amid an escalation in the Middle East conflict following U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Tehran, while her government began its evacuation operation for nationals.

At a parliamentary committee meeting, Takaichi demanded Iran stop any actions that "destabilize the region" including its development of nuclear weapons, which she said is "absolutely unacceptable," as well as its attacks on surrounding countries.

"We will work in coordination with the international community toward an early deescalation of the situation and continue to make every necessary diplomatic effort," Takaichi said.

Meanwhile, Takaichi said her government will refrain from offering a "definitive legal assessment" about the bombardment launched by the United States, Japan's close security ally, and Israel, as Tokyo does not have "detailed information."

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at the Diet session that no Japanese casualties in Iran have been reported so far.

About 200 and 1,000 Japanese citizens live in Iran and Israel, respectively, and some 7,700 in total reside in nine nearby nations such as Bahrain and Lebanon, according to the government.

Later Monday, a government-arranged bus departed from Tel Aviv to Jordan's capital Amman with some business persons and tourists from Japan on board, a source close to the matter said.

The main international airport outside of Tel Aviv is expected to be closed until Wednesday amid continued retaliatory attacks by Iran.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference that Japan is ready to dispatch its Self-Defense Forces for a possible operation to evacuate nationals from the region.

Organizing a large-scale evacuation in Iran is difficult, however, because airports are closed and land routes are dangerous, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Due to its heavy reliance on the Middle East for crude oil, Japan, a resource-poor country that has traditionally maintained friendly ties with Iran, has a vital interest in stability in the region.

Kihara, the top government spokesman, said that no immediate impact is expected on Japan's oil supply from the Middle East conflict, citing stockpiles equivalent to 254 days of crude oil consumption, including reserves held by the private sector, and around three weeks of liquefied natural gas consumption.

The Japanese government is closely watching the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, an oil shipping route vital for Japan, with the U.S. and Israeli strikes prompting Iranian attacks on other Gulf nations in addition to Israel.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Sunday it had attacked at least three oil tankers belonging to the United States and Britain in the area, according to state-run media.

More than 200 vessels including oil and LNG tankers had dropped anchor around the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters as of Sunday, Reuters reported, citing shipping data.

The latest developments came after weekend airstrikes by the United States and Israel in which Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed. U.S. President Donald Trump has said the operation is aimed at eliminating "imminent threats" posed by the Iranian government.

U.S. Central Command said Sunday that three U.S. service members had been killed and five seriously wounded, marking the first confirmed U.S. military fatalities in connection with "Operation Epic Fury" against Iran.