Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday stressed the importance of not imposing fees on passage through the Strait of Hormuz in phone talks with Iran's president, as the trade artery has been effectively closed amid stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations.
Speaking to reporters at her office in Tokyo, Takaichi said she also conveyed "deep concern" to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the situation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula, asking Iran to strongly urge the Tehran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen to exercise restraint.
Yemeni authorities said Tuesday that the Houthis, who declared a "maritime blockade" in July targeting Saudi Arabian vessels, carried out a deadly attack on a cargo ship in the strait, which has become an alternative route for crude oil transport amid the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The talks between Takaichi and Pezeshkian were the first since June and the fourth since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in late February. Although a close ally of the United States, Japan has traditionally maintained amicable ties with Iran.
