Japan's Defense Minister: U.S. Has Not Requested Middle East Naval Deployment

Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated that the United States has not made a specific request for naval deployment to the Middle East. According to Jin10, prior to a summit between Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump, Tokyo had begun exploring this possibility. Koizumi mentioned that no specific deployment request was made during his recent phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. He emphasized the importance of quickly easing tensions in the region. Koizumi acknowledged Trump's latest remarks, where the U.S. President reiterated his call for countries, including Japan and South Korea, to send vessels to the Strait of Hormuz to assist in protecting oil tanker passage. As reported by Asahi Shimbun on Tuesday, Japan is assessing the legal implications of such a deployment. Yomiuri Shimbun reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth had sought Japan's support in forming a voluntary international maritime task force to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. When asked about the Yomiuri Shimbun report, Koizumi noted the need to consider relations with other countries and refrained from commenting on specific negotiations with the United States.