Japan may provide humanitarian aid for a tide of Afghan refugees escaping to Iran in fear of military retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said Tuesday.
"I heard one estimate that an initial 1.5 million refugees have already entered or arrived near the border with Iran," Tanaka said. "We are gathering information to expedite our decisions on specific measures for humanitarian aid."
She said any action by Tokyo will also depend on how the U.S. responds to the refugee situation in Iran.