U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi [AP Yonhap News]

The foreign ministers of the United States and Japan discussed the situation in the Middle East and confirmed their intention to cooperate, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 16th.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi spoke by phone for about 20 minutes starting at 8 p.m. Japan time.

Foreign Minister Motegi criticized Iran's actions that threaten navigation safety in the Strait of Hormuz and attack civilian facilities, including energy-related facilities, in Middle Eastern countries.

He stated that safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is crucial for the international community, including Japan, from the perspective of energy security, and added, "We will continue to make all necessary diplomatic efforts in cooperation with the international community, including the United States."

Secretary Pompeo explained the U.S. position and response regarding Middle East issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The two sides confirmed their policy to maintain close communication regarding the situation in Iran. They also agreed to continue cooperation for the U.S. visit of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the Japan-U.S. summit scheduled for the 19th (local time).

It is possible that the two sides also exchanged views on U.S. President Donald Trump's request for Japan to dispatch a destroyer to the Strait of Hormuz, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not specifically mention this in its press release.

However, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told Kyodo News that Secretary Pompeo did not separately request the dispatch of a destroyer from the Japanese side during this phone call.

Prior to this, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also spoke by phone for about 30 minutes the previous night.

Secretary Hegseth explained the current situation and outlook for the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz, and Defense Minister Koizumi conveyed his view that maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz, is crucial and that he wishes to communicate with related countries, including the United States.

The Ministry of Defense stated that Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed the strengthening of deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance and the commitment to regional peace, and indicated that the situation in the Middle East would not cause any changes to the readiness posture of the U.S. Forces Japan.