Japan may continue to refuel U.S. warships in the Indian Ocean in the event of a U.S. attack on Iraq, diplomatic sources said Thursday.

Although Tokyo believes an imminent U.S. attack on Iraq is not likely, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Agency have secretly discussed measures Japan should take if an attack were launched, the sources said.

Japan is now considering whether to continue its refueling operation for U.S. vessels engaged in the Afghanistan campaign on condition that the United States pledges not to use the fuel for military operations against Iraq, they said.

However, there is no mechanism in place that could verify whether Japan-provided fuel was being used in an operation against Iraq.