Japan Closely Monitoring Situation around Hormuz Strait, Collecting Information on Damaged Ship

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:42 JST, March 12, 2026

The government is urgently gathering information on the circumstances surrounding a container ship belonging to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. which suffered damage while anchored in the Persian Gulf.

Since the damage to the ship was slight, this incident is seen at the moment as having only a limited effect on the safety of other Japanese vessels, but the government intends to carefully monitor changes in the situation around the Strait of Hormuz.

After the damage was reported, a senior government official said, “There are no issues with the operation of the vessel, and no one was injured.”

Asked whether the damage was the result of an Iranian attack, the official said, “We don’t know. We’ll look into it closely.”

In the past, Japan-connected vessels were attacked in sea areas around the Middle East and Africa, but most of these cases were due to pirates.

In 2019, a tanker owned by Japan was attacked off Oman near the Strait of Hormuz. The United States accused Iran of being involved in the attack, heightening tensions. In 2023, a Japanese car transport vessel was seized by Yemen’s anti-government Houthi rebels.

The Middle East is a key junction for crude oil shipments, making stability in surrounding waters vital to Japan’s national interests. The Self-Defense Forces have previously conducted patrols in the Gulf of Aden and other activities, which are considered maritime security operations based on the Self-Defense Forces Law and antipiracy measures law.

However, the operational area of the SDF is limited and does not include the Strait of Hormuz. Amid ongoing military operations between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, many believe that Japan will need to invoke its right of self-defense to contribute to ensuring safety in the waterway.

The SDF is allowed to escort civilian vessels and engage in mine-sweeping operations as an exercise of the right of collective self-defense, if it is requested to do so by Washington and the situation is recognized as a survival-threatening one for Japan under the security-related laws.

However, there are various requirements to be fulfilled before such a move can be taken. Moreover, the Japanese government has told the Diet that it will not exercise the right of collective self-defense to support countries that have used force in violation of international laws.

Major hurdles stand in the way of using Japanese security-related legislation to dispatch the SDF, especially under current circumstances, when opinion is divided over whether U.S. military operations are permissible under international law and the Japanese government is refraining from commenting on the situation.

Growing sense of alarm

There has been a growing sense of alarm among parties concerned since the report of damage to the Mitsui ship.

“We don’t know the details yet. As we have no idea whether the impact on the vessel was caused by an attack, we have been gathering information,” said an official of the Japanese Shipowners’ Association. The association has contacted other vessels and crew members still in the gulf, and there has so far been no damage sustained or shortage of supplies, the official said.

Regarding some reports that Iran has begun laying mines in the strait, another person in the maritime industry said, “If the reports are true, that would create a more serious situation.”

On March 4, Hitoshi Nagasawa, who chairs the association, said. “We can’t resume navigation through the strait until we confirm everything is safe, including the end of the military operations and the absence of mines.”

Japanese companies have voiced concerns over the worsening situation in the Middle East. “The impact of the situation in the Middle East has been small so far, but the effects of rising fuel costs and other factors may spread in the future. We have business partners with bases in the Middle East, so we want to closely monitor the situation,” an official at one materials manufacturer said.