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Japan said it will evaluate individually whether to exercise its right to collective self-defense if the Strait of Hormuz is blocked by missiles from Iran or other sources, an official said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference Tuesday that the government would make decisions based on each situation and all available information.
He declined to clarify whether a blockade of the key oil transport route would automatically qualify as a survival-threatening scenario that could allow Japan to use its collective self-defense right.
Kihara had been asked on Monday whether such a blockade would be considered a survival-threatening situation or one with a significant impact on the country’s peace and security.
He said the government has not yet determined whether the current situation falls under either category.
The official added that Japan had previously cited minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz as a potential example of exercising the right to collective self-defense.
Japan’s position emphasizes a careful, case-by-case assessment rather than automatic military action in response to regional threats.
The government continues to monitor developments in the Middle East closely and assess potential impacts on Japan’s security and energy supply.