Japan-US Ministers Discuss Strait of Hormuz Security

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi held telephone talks with his United States counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Monday, as tensions escalate in the Middle East over Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The discussion followed President Donald Trump's public appeal for allies to form a coalition and deploy warships to secure the vital shipping route, though no such request was made during the call, according to a Japanese Foreign Ministry official.

The conversation focused on the ongoing regional conflict, now in its third week, and efforts to ensure safe navigation through the strait, a narrow waterway that carries about 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. Motegi stressed that freedom of navigation there is crucial for global energy security and the international community, including Japan. He condemned Iran's actions, including attacks on civilian and energy-related facilities in Gulf countries, which have threatened maritime safety and prompted the waterway's effective shutdown in response to United States and Israeli military operations since late last month.

The two ministers exchanged views on the United States' positions and...