Japan Cites High Legal and Political Barriers to Sending Warships to Middle East

Japan faces significant legal and political challenges in dispatching military vessels to the Middle East to protect oil shipping lanes, according to senior LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi. Despite US President Donald Trump's call for allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, Japan's pacifist constitution and public opposition complicate such a move. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has ruled out deploying minesweepers during the ongoing conflict but announced releasing 80 million barrels from strategic oil reserves.