Minister: Japan could consider Hormuz minesweeping if ceasefire reached

Japan could consider deploying its military for minesweeping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies, if a ceasefire is reached in the conflict with Iran, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Sunday.

"If there were to be a complete ceasefire, hypothetically speaking, then things like minesweeping could come up," Motegi said during a Fuji TV programme. "This is purely hypothetical, but if a ceasefire were established and naval mines were creating an obstacle, then I think that would be something to consider."

Japan's military actions are limited under its post-war pacifist constitution, but 2015 security legislation allows Japan to use its self-defense forces overseas if an attack, including on a close security partner, threatens Japan's survival and no other means are available to address it.

Tokyo has no immediate plans to seek arrangements to allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz for stranded Japanese vessels, Motegi said, adding it was "extremely important" to create conditions that allow all ships to navigate through the narrow waterway, the conduit for a fifth of the world's oil shipments.