Defense Minister Taro Kono spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart Amir Hatami to explain Tokyo's plan to dispatch a destroyer and two patrol airplanes to the Middle East, the Japanese Defense Ministry said Thursday.
Hatami didn't show any negative response to the planned dispatch of the Maritime Self-Defense Force unit, according to Kono, who spoke to reporters in Tokyo after the phone conversation.
Kono also called for Iran's cooperation to ensure the safety of Japan-related ships navigating through the Strait of Hormuz during the conversation, Kono said.