Amidst rising tensions between Washington and Tehran—centered on the potential signing of a memorandum of understanding to end the conflict—Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
In this conversation, Prime Minister Takaichi urged for the assurance of unimpeded maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release.
War erupted in the Middle East following a joint attack on Iran by the United States and Israel on February 28. Although a ceasefire has been in effect since early April, retaliatory attacks have continued unabated.
Meanwhile, despite ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran—facilitated by Pakistan—no agreement has yet been reached.
Against this backdrop, the Japanese Prime Minister spoke with the Iranian President by telephone for approximately 15 minutes yesterday evening, Monday.
The Japanese Prime Minister—whose country has not actively participated on the U.S. side in this conflict—emphasized the importance of de-escalating the situation through dialogue. She expressed hope that Iran would demonstrate maximum flexibility to reach an agreement with the United States as soon as possible.
According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s statement, President Pezeshkian outlined Iran’s perspective, including the current status of negotiations with the United States and future prospects.
Since the outbreak of this conflict, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf—a vital conduit for global energy supplies—has been halted.
Consequently, Japan, along with other Asian nations, has been adversely affected. Rising crude oil prices are exerting significant pressure on the economy; for instance, a shortage of naphtha—a petroleum derivative—is currently having a severe impact on Japan’s packaging industry.
However, several vessels linked to Japan have recently been observed transiting the Strait of Hormuz. This includes a tanker belonging to Idemitsu Kosan, a major oil refiner. The vessel arrived in Japan on May 25.
During the discussion, Prime Minister Takaichi called for the assurance of free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for vessels from all nations—including Japan and other Asian countries—as swiftly as possible. Citing Iranian media sources, Japanese news outlets report that Puzeshkian assured Takaichi that Iran would work to ensure the unimpeded passage of Japanese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. However, he also noted that U.S. naval sanctions against Iran pose an obstacle in this regard.
During his conversation with Takaichi, Puzeshkian also sought Japan’s assistance in Iran’s reconstruction efforts. He stated that once the situation normalizes, Japanese technology could contribute to the development of Iran’s oil refineries, ports, and other infrastructure.
Additionally, he requested Tokyo’s assistance in procuring essential goods, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals.
This marked the third telephone conversation between Takaichi and Puzeshkian since the outbreak of the conflict involving Iran. Their most recent discussion took place on April 30.
