Japan welcomes US-Iran ceasefire as positive step

Japan has welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, describing it as a “positive move,” government officials said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara emphasized the importance of an actual de-escalation in the Middle East and expressed hope that a “final agreement” would be achieved soon through diplomatic channels. “An effective reduction of tensions is of top importance,” Kihara said at a press conference, Japan Today reports.

Kihara added that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been pursuing summit-level talks over the phone with Iranian officials to further facilitate dialogue.

The two-week ceasefire was agreed upon under mediation by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, just hours before the expiration of a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Since late February, following US and Israeli military strikes on Iranian positions, Tehran has effectively blocked the strait, a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments, causing disruptions to oil supplies and spikes in prices. Japan relies on the Middle East for over 90 percent of its crude oil imports, the majority of which transit the Strait of Hormuz.

While Takaichi’s government has criticized Iran for the blockade and for attacks on other regional states, it has not issued a legal assessment of the US and Israeli military operations against Iran.

By Vafa Guliyeva