The Japanese authorities are closely cooperating with the United States in investigating the Thursday attacks on the two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference on Friday.
“We are exchanging information in close cooperation with the US,” Suga said. “The government is in the process of collecting information about the incident. I want to abstain at this moment from any statements about the consequences and those responsible for the attacks,” he added.
According to Kyodo news agency, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told another press conference on Friday that Tokyo does not yet plan to use military force to protect oil tankers.