Japan condemns Israeli strikes against Iran, urges restraint
The Japanese government on Friday condemned Israeli strikes on nuclear and military facilities in Iran.
Tokyo is concerned that further instability in the Middle East will have significant negative effects on the supply of oil. Japan relies on the region for over 90% 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 in Canada, which begins Monday.
"It's absolutely unacceptable that military means were used amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution" to the Iranian nuclear issue, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters. "This is extremely regrettable and we strongly condemn it."
Regarding retaliation from Iran, 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 summit and work with G7 partners to calm the situation.
At a meeting of the central 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.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani instructed his ministry and the Self-Defense Forces to make maximum efforts to secure the safety of Japanese nationals in Iran. He also called for measures to make sure that SDF members dispatched to the Middle East remain safe.
Japan has SDF personnel in the Middle East for missions such as anti-piracy operations off Somalia and elsewhere and the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai Peninsula, an organization monitoring the ceasefire between Egypt and Israel.
It is extremely rare for the Japanese government to condemn Israel, which, like Japan, is a close ally of the United States.
Tokyo's message reflects an acute sense of crisis in Japan over the situation, which one government official expects will inevitably escalate, because the attack also caused civilian casualties in Iran.
Japan has a long history of amicable relations with Iran and has been supporting U.S.-Iran talks on Tehran's nuclear capabilities.
A senior Foreign Ministry official said it was necessary for the Japanese government to send a stronger message than before because Israel's move was a unilateral preemptive attack.
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