The United States and the United Kingdom plan to form a multinational coalition to ensure the safety of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Accordingly, a meeting of defense ministers led by the United States and the United Kingdom is scheduled to be held in London, with Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi expected to attend. The United States is requesting the dispatch of military assets from allied countries to secure maritime routes, and Japan is considering the possibility of dispatching Maritime Self-Defense Force minesweepers. Within the Japanese government, mine clearance operations and escorting civilian ships are being discussed as ways to deploy the Self-Defense Forces.
