No Abe-Zarif talks on Strait of Hormuz Coalition: Suga

August 29, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif did not discuss a U.S.-proposed plan to create a coalition to patrol the Strait of Hormuz at their meeting on Wednesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday.

At the meeting, Abe and Zarif exchanged views on how to alleviate tensions in the Middle East, Suga told a press conference.

The United States has proposed forming an international coalition to protect commercial shipping in and around the strait.

Suga said the Japanese government will "consider all circumstances, including the stable supply of crude oil, relations with the United States and those with Iran" before making a decision on its response to the U.S. proposal. Jiji Press