US envoy to the UN Mike Waltz said Sunday that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has committed portions of her navy to operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Since so much energy is going to Europe out of the strait. We just had the Japanese Prime Minister commit to portions of her navy and the Japanese navy, 80% of what is coming out of the Gulf is going to Asia," Waltz said in an interview with CBS News.
"So we are seeing our allies come around as they should, but at the same time, the president (Donald 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 added.
Tokyo also signaled the possibility of deploying its Self-Defense Forces for minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire is reached between Iran, the US, and Israel.
"Japan's minesweeping technology is at the top level in the world. Let's say (in case of a) ceasefire, and in the event that mines pose an obstacle, we may have to think about it," Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said, referring to a potential SDF deployment.
Motegi, who attended Japan-US summit talks in Washington last Thursday, said there was "no specific promise" made and no issue requiring further consideration in Tokyo.
US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, with Tehran retaliating through repeated drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
Japan imports about 90% of its crude oil from the Middle East, most of which passes through the narrow waterway.
