Japan condemns Israeli strikes on Iran

Tokyo is concerned that further instability in the Middle East will have a significant negative impact on the oil supply. Japan relies on the region for over 90 per cent of its crude oil imports.

Israel's move is expected to be a key topic at the summit of the Group of Seven major democracies, which begins in Canada on Monday.

"It's unacceptable that military means were used amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution" to the Iranian nuclear issue, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters. "This is extremely regrettable, and we strongly condemn it."

Regarding Iran's retaliatory attacks, Ishiba said, "Any action that could escalate the situation should be avoided," urging the relevant countries to exercise restraint.

The prime minister also said he will clearly state Japan's position at the G-7 summit and work with G-7 partners to calm the situation.

At a meeting of the Japanese government's National Security Council, he instructed relevant ministers to gather information, fully protect Japanese residents in Iran and cooperate with related countries to calm the situation and peacefully solve the Iranian nuclear issue.

There have been no reports of Japanese casualties, the Foreign Ministry said.

Defence Minister Gen Nakatani instructed his ministry and the Self-Defence Forces to make maximum efforts to secure the safety of Japanese nationals in Iran, including gathering information. He also called for making sure that SDF members dispatched to the Middle East region stay safe.

Japan has SDF personnel in the Middle East for missions such as antipiracy operations off Somalia and elsewhere, and the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai Peninsula, an organisation monitoring the ceasefire between Egypt and Israel.

It is extremely rare for the Japanese government to condemn Israel, which is an ally of the United States, like Japan.

Tokyo's message of condemnation reflects an acute sense of crisis in Japan over the situation, which one Japanese government official expects will inevitably escalate, because the attack also caused civilian casualties in Iran.

Japan has years of amicable relations with Iran and has been supporting US-Iran talks on Tehran's nuclear development.

A senior Foreign Ministry official said the Japanese government needed to send a stronger message than before because Israel's move was a unilateral preemptive attack.

 [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Photo by Reuters