ASDF Transport Planes Arrive in Djibouti, Setting Up Evacuation of Japanese from Iran, Israel

The Yomiuri Shimbun

19:33 JST, June 22, 2025

Two of the Air Self-Defense Force’s C-2 transport planes arrived in Djibouti in eastern Africa on Sunday to prepare to evacuate Japanese nationals from Israel and Iran, as the two countries continue to trade attacks.

The transport planes took off from the ASDF Miho Air Base in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, on Saturday.

As the C-2 planes are unable to enter either Israel or Iran at the moment, they will stand by in Djibouti, where the Self-Defense Forces have a base for patrols against pirates.

The dispatch of the transport planes follows a request from the Foreign Ministry. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Thursday ordered the commander of the JSDF Joint Operations Command to send the planes.

At the Miho Air Base on Saturday, before the planes departed, ASDF Maj. Gen. Shoji Sagawa, who is second in command for the mission to bring back Japanese nationals, gave a briefing. “Amid the unpredictable situation in the Middle East, we need to quickly and safely evacuate Japanese nationals overseas,” he said.

About 120 SDF members boarded the planes, which then took off while other members of the force watched.