Japan, South Korea Hesitate as Trump Seeks Naval Support

News Desk

Tokyo/Washington: Japan and South Korea are treading cautiously after US President Donald Trump called on allied nations to deploy naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route, amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

Japan, a close US ally under the 1952 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, has refused to send warships to the strait. Citing its pacifist constitution and domestic opposition to overseas military deployments, a senior Japanese policy adviser said such action would only be possible in a “very serious case.”

 Taiyuki Kobayashi, policy chief of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling party, emphasized that current Japanese law sets high limits for overseas naval operations, making deployment unlikely under present conditions.

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To maintain energy security, Japanese private companies have started releasing oil from reserves, covering roughly 70 days of supply, alongside government-held national stocks.

South Korea said it is “closely examining” Trump’s appeal, with officials indicating a careful review in consultation with the United States before taking any action to safeguard energy supply routes.

Meanwhile, several other nations have already declined US requests. Britain, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has refused to send warships, while France and China have remained silent on the issue.

President Trump’s global appeal highlights the diplomatic and strategic challenges of securing the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints, while allies balance security commitments with domestic legal and political constraints.

The international community continues to monitor the situation closely as tensions in the Middle East threaten to impact global energy supplies.