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The Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, held a phone call on Wednesday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in which she demanded concrete security guarantees for navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, including vessels related to Japan.
The conversation took place on the same day that President Donald Trump Trump announced a bilateral ceasefire for two weeks with Iran, contingent upon the complete reopening of the strait, at a time of fragile de-escalation following weeks of military tension.
Takaichi described the announcements from Washington and Tehran as "a positive move", although she emphasized that Japan needs verifiable commitments before considering the situation normalized. The closure of the Strait collapsed naval traffic by 97%, severely impacting a Japanese economy that is heavily reliant on energy imports through that route.
Japan is part of the group of 22 countries that demanded the immediate reopening of the strait, and the call this Wednesday reinforces Tokyo's position as an active diplomatic player in the crisis. During the conversation, Takaichi also raised the situation of a Japanese citizen detained in Iran, reportedly a journalist for NHK, whose release the Japanese government is demanding.
Both leaders agreed to maintain continuous communication in the coming days to monitor the commitments made within the framework of the ceasefire and to advance in the resolution of pending bilateral issues.
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