Strait of Hormuz: Establish International Cooperation Framework To Ensure Safety

Editorial

14:30 JST, March 17, 2026

If the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a key waterway for crude oil shipments — is prolonged, the global economy will face deepening turmoil. Japan, too, risks being hit by a severe energy crisis.

What contribution can Japan make to ensure safety in this waterway? The government must carefully consider the matter.

In the Persian Gulf, civilian vessels sailing under the flags of various countries, including Japan, have sustained damage. Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said in a statement that he intends to strictly enforce a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to counter attacks by the United States and Israel.

There are also some who think that Iran has already laid mines in the strait. Such behavior, essentially holding maritime transport hostage, cannot be overlooked.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media account that he hopes such countries as Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom will dispatch ships to the Strait of Hormuz to escort vessels.

The Japan-U.S. alliance is the foundation of Japanese diplomacy. If a formal request is made by Washington, Tokyo must consider cooperating in some form.

Security-related legislation established in 2015 made it possible for Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense in a limited manner by designating an attack on its ally or another friendly nation that menaces Japan’s existence as a survival-threatening situation.

The government has previously cited mines being laid in the Strait of Hormuz as a specific example of a survival-threatening situation. While the current crisis appears to fit this example, the matter is not that simple.

During the deliberations on the security related legislation, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, “Under international law, a country is not allowed to engage in the unlawful use of force when it has not suffered an armed attack, and it is inconceivable that our country would support such a country.”

It is highly likely the latest attack by the United States and Israel was against international law. Under these circumstances, could the government win the public’s understanding for cooperating with Washington? Trust in Japan could also be damaged.

It must be said that dispatching the Self-Defense Forces to the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently in a state of combat, would be difficult under the current circumstances.

First and foremost, a ceasefire resolution should be adopted at the United Nations, and the establishment of an international framework for cooperation to ensure the safety of navigation should be expedited. Japan should take the lead in such discussions.

The United States reportedly has moved weapons deployed for U.S. forces in South Korea to the Middle East to bolster its military presence there. As if to exploit this opening, North Korea launched a missile.

To prevent the development of a military power vacuum in Asia, the United States must bring the fighting in the Middle East to an early conclusion.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 17, 2026)