Takayuki Kōri demands Defense Minister Shintaro Koizumi remain silent

More than a month has passed since Iran was attacked, yet peace negotiations have made no progress. In fact, there are reports that U.S. forces are preparing for ground operations. According to an interview by Weekly Bunshun, at a cabinet-level meeting convened to address the increasingly tense situation in the Middle East, the Prime Minister's Office reportedly instructed Defense Minister Shintaro Koizumi not to speak.

The only one asked to stay silent at the meeting

This incident occurred during the "Cabinet Meeting on Middle East Situation" held on March 24. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Iranian crisis and share information regarding the safety of maritime navigation and stable energy supply in the Middle East region.

A source from the Prime Minister’s Office revealed: “Among the invited cabinet ministers were Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Economic Affairs Minister Ryōsuke Akazawa, Agriculture Minister Kenji Suzuki, and Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Kōichi Kaneko. From the very beginning of the meeting preparations, it was explicitly required that Defense Minister Koizumi should not speak during the session.”

Evidence obtained by Weekly Bunshun shows…

Weekly Bunshun has obtained the original email serving as evidence. The email documents the communication between the Cabinet Secretariat—the meeting organizer—and the Ministry of Defense.

On the evening of March 19, a senior official from the Cabinet Secretariat sent an email to a defense ministry official stating clearly:

“The Defense Minister is not required to speak; please just attend.”

The situation in the Middle East is growing increasingly tense. Under such circumstances, it is unprecedented for the Defense Minister to be barred from speaking at a cabinet meeting. Why did the Kōri office take such a move—was it to suppress Koizumi, or to protect him? The true motives behind this remain intriguing.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1861272143277067/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author