Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, said on March 16 that the government is considering measures within its legal constraints to ensure the safety of Japanese-linked vessels and their crews in the Middle East amid the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, Kyodo News reports.

Speaking during a session of the House of Councillors Budget Committee, Takaichi addressed calls from Donald Trump for other countries, including Japan, to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard oil shipments.

Asked by an opposition lawmaker whether Japan would deploy vessels from the Japan Self-Defense Forces, Takaichi said it was difficult to respond to a hypothetical question as the US had not yet made such a request, but added that her government was examining what it described as necessary responses.

Takaichi also said she would convey Japan’s views on the Middle East situation to Trump during summit talks scheduled for later this week in Washington, D.C..

During the same session, defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the government had no plans at present to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces to the Middle East, a region from which Japan sources more than 90% of its crude oil and 11% of its liquefied natural gas.

Trump said on social media on March 14 that he wanted Japan and other countries to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to help secure the vital shipping route for energy supplies, which Iran has effectively blocked in response to attacks launched by the US and Israel late last month.

In an interview with NBC News, Trump said it was unclear whether Iran had placed mines in the strait but added that the US intended to conduct strong operations to sweep the waterway and expected other countries reliant on the route for oil supplies to join.

Overseas operations by the Self-Defense Forces are limited under Constitution of Japan, which renounces war. However, the government can authorise maritime security operations allowing Self-Defense Forces vessels to accompany ships linked to Japan and use weapons for defensive purposes.

Tokyo has expanded the overseas role of the Self-Defense Forces through security legislation that took effect in 2016, although deploying personnel to areas where they could become involved in fighting remains politically contentious.

In a related development, Koizumi and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth agreed during a phone call on March 15 to maintain close communication, according to Japan’s defence ministry.

Koizumi told Hegseth that maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz, was extremely important for Japan and the wider international community, adding that Tokyo would continue to communicate with related countries including the US.

Hegseth said the situation in the Middle East would not require changes to the posture of United States Forces Japan, while reiterating Washington’s commitment to strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the bilateral alliance.