Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday urged all parties involved to boost diplomatic efforts aimed at stopping tensions from escalating in the Middle East, saying that he was "deeply concerned" about the current situation.
In his first news conference of the year, Abe said Japan would continue with its diplomatic efforts while indicating no change in Tokyo's plans to send Self-Defense Forces personnel and assets to the region to ensure the safe navigation of commercial ships.
Abe's remarks came amid a recent spike in tensions after top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. airstrike on Baghdad last week. Iran has vowed to retaliate, while U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of further responses if Iran does so.