Japan on Friday expressed support for the joint strikes by the US and the UK against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen earlier in the day.
The Japanese government supports military strikes by the United States and Britain against Yemen’s Houthi militants that started on Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday.
“We condemn the Houthis for continuing to obstruct navigation rights and freedoms in waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula,” Hayashi told a press conference.
The military strikes are a measure to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, he added.
At a separate press conference, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said that Japan has no plans to join the U.S.-British military activities.
“We’ll work closely with relevant countries to appropriately carry out antipiracy operations in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia and eventually contribute to the stabilization of surrounding waters including the Red Sea,” he also said.–agencies
