Japanese premier calls for free, safe passage through Strait of Hormuz

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office following the close of the 221st extraordinary session of the Diet, in Tokyo, Japan, on July 27, 2026. [David Mareuil – Anadolu Agency]

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday urged the resumption of free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz during a phone call with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Anadolu reports.

Haitham responded that Oman would consult with and respect the views of countries that use the waterway, Takaichi told reporters at her office in Tokyo, according to Kyodo News.

Oman and Iran are negotiating transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Muscat Daily, the two leaders also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation across various fields in pursuit of their mutual interests, as well as regional developments.

READ: Iran replaces top security chief as tensions threaten Strait of Hormuz breakthrough

The phone call comes as negotiations over the future of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remain at an impasse.

Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in June through Pakistani and Qatari mediation, ending active hostilities and launching negotiations toward a broader agreement.

The memorandum envisaged a gradual restoration of commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but implementation later stalled amid mutual accusations of violations of its terms.

READ: Japan sets 3 conditions for joining Hormuz mission: Report

0 Comments

Unless otherwise stated in the article above, this work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. If the image(s) bear our credit, this license also applies to them. What does that mean? For other permissions, please contact us.