March 12, 2026 | 08:14 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Group of Seven (G7) member countries have agreed to explore the possibility of escorting ships in the Middle East after the security conditions worsened amid the conflict between Iran and the Israel-US alliance, according to a statement from France, the current G7 chair.
In a statement released on Wednesday, as reported by Kyodo and quoted by Antara, after a virtual meeting among the leaders of G7 member countries, the French government stated that the plan to escort ships is aimed at restoring "freedom of navigation" in the region.
However, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, in a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday, March 12, 2026, stated that the announcement was "France's own decision" as the G7 chair. Kihara refrained from elaborating on the details.
Japan may face a tough choice on whether to join the plan to escort ships by the G7 forces.
This is because Japan has long adhered to a policy oriented toward exclusive defense under its war-renouncing constitution. Japan only allows limited use for collective self-defense.
"Maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East is extremely important for Japan and we will continue to work closely with relevant countries, including the G7 members, and make every necessary diplomatic effort toward an early de-escalation of the situation," said Kihara, the main spokesperson for the Japanese government.
Japan imports more than 90 percent of its oil from the Middle East, making the country highly vulnerable to the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has blocked oil and gas shipments from suppliers in the region after the US and Israel attacked Iran late last month.
Read: G7 Mulls Oil Reserve Release to Support Global Supply Amid Iran War
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