Japan arranging talks with Iran as Middle East tension grows

TOKYO — The Japanese government is arranging summit talks with Iran, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday, with tensions mounting in the Middle East as U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz approaches.

"We are preparing for a dialogue at the leadership level at an appropriate time," Takaichi told a parliamentary committee when asked by an opposition lawmaker about Japan's diplomatic efforts regarding the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

"Japan will make every effort possible to restore peace," said Takaichi, without mentioning the name of the Iranian leader she is considering holding talks with.

Japan relies on the region for over 90 percent of its crude oil imports. Most of them transit the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy shipments that Iran has effectively closed, fueling oil supply concerns and sending prices higher.

Trump has extended his pause on threatened attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure, pushing back the deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz from Monday to Tuesday.

In an interview on Sunday with The Wall Street Journal, the president was quoted as saying, "If they don't come through, if they want to keep it closed, they're going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country."

He also posted on social media platform without providing an explanation: "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!"

Japan, a close U.S. ally yet known for its traditionally maintained amicable ties with Iran, has condemned Tehran's de facto blockade of the strait, as well as its attacks on other Middle Eastern states in response to the U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Takaichi's government has made no legal assessment of the Israeli-U.S. military operations against Iran.

© KYODO