Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced Friday that a Japan-linked vessel detained in the Persian Gulf has successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz and is now sailing toward Japan, marking the latest maritime movement since the easing of a three-month blockade that had disrupted traffic through the critical energy chokepoint.
Transit confirmed
Speaking on the social media platform X, Takaichi confirmed that three Japanese crew members were aboard the vessel. “On June 19, one Japanese-related vessel that had been detained in the Persian Gulf successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, exited the Persian Gulf, and is now sailing toward Japan,” she said, providing the first official confirmation of the transit.
The Japan News reported that a Saudi Arabia-flagged crude oil tanker bound for Kiire in Kagoshima City resumed transmitting its location Thursday in the Gulf of Oman after its signals had gone dark in mid-April, indicating it had cleared the strait. The Tenzan, a crude oil tanker operated by a Japanese company, also entered the waterway Thursday night after waiting off the United Arab Emirates coast, with government officials confirming some Japanese nationals were aboard.
Diplomatic efforts
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference Friday morning that Tokyo would persist in diplomatic efforts to secure safe passage for all remaining vessels. “We will continue to make every diplomatic effort to ensure that all vessels pass through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible,” he said, stressing the urgency of the situation.
According to Japan’s Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, 38 Japan-related vessels remained in the Persian Gulf as of Thursday carrying approximately 900 people, down from 39 reported earlier in the month after another vessel exited on May 14.
Energy security
The Strait of Hormuz serves as one of the world’s most vital oil and gas transit routes, with Japan sourcing more than 90 percent of its crude oil imports from the Middle East prior to the crisis. Another Japan-related vessel had exited the Gulf on May 14, while a separate vessel carrying three Japanese crew members transited the strait on April 29, according to previous Foreign Ministry reports.