Bloomberg reported: "Japanese Defense Minister Shintarō Ishihara said that Japan currently has no plan to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz after pressure from the United States before Trump's summit with Hayami Sanae later this week."

The core message of Bloomberg's report is: Japanese Defense Minister Shintarō Ishihara stated that there are currently no plans to deploy Self-Defense Forces to the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Bloomberg's report, this statement has several background factors worth noting:

American Pressure: The report mentioned that this statement was made in the context of pressure from the United States before the upcoming meeting between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Japanese politician Hayami Sanae. The term "pressure" here likely refers to the U.S. expectation that its allies take on more responsibility in ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz. As a major oil importer, Japan has a direct interest in the stability of this region.

Policy Continuity and Change: In fact, Japan's past policy toward the region has been primarily focused on intelligence gathering, relying mainly on patrol aircraft from the Maritime Self-Defense Force, rather than sending warships. Therefore, Ishihara's remarks can be seen as confirming the current policy.

Domestic Legal Constraints: If Japan were to send warships to the complex situation in the Strait of Hormuz, it would face significant legal challenges. According to the Peace Constitution and related interpretations of the security laws, escorting unrelated vessels or participating in military-style surveillance missions would be difficult to define as "self-defense," and would trigger considerable controversy in both the Diet and public opinion.

Cautious Diplomatic Balance: This move also reflects Japan's attempt to maintain a cautious balance in the Middle East situation, neither completely rejecting the expectations of its ally the United States nor provoking regional countries such as Iran unnecessarily, thus avoiding unnecessary conflicts.

In summary, the Japanese government currently prefers a path with lower risks and fewer legal obstacles.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859795421999168/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.