Japan to consider holding talks with Iran at 'appropriate' time, says Premier Takaichi

Japan will consider holding talks with the Iranian leadership at an "appropriate" time based on the national interest as tensions remain high in the Middle East, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday.

"I will judge the appropriate timing for holding talks based on the national interest from a comprehensive standpoint," Takaichi told a session of the House of Representatives' Budget Committee, Kyodo News reported.

Tokyo has sought to strike a delicate balance between maintaining its security alliance with Washington and its traditionally friendly relations with Tehran since the outbreak of the spiraling Middle East conflict, which has disrupted global supply chains.

Japan relies on the Middle East for over 90% of its crude oil imports, most of which pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy shipments that has been effectively blocked by Iran.

Japan has condemned Iran's de facto closure of the strait as well as its attacks on other Middle Eastern states made in response to US-Israeli strikes, though it has made no legal assessment of the American military operations against Iran.

In a related development, the first oil shipment from the Middle East has arrived at a refinery in western Japan since the outbreak of the conflict. The tanker was carrying about 100,000 kiloliters of crude originating from Saudi Arabia, transported along the Red Sea and bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.