(Photo: japan-forward.com)

Under a plan approved by the cabinet, a helicopter-equipped destroyer and two P-3C patrol planes will be dispatched for information-gathering aimed at ensuring the safe passage of Japanese vessels through a region where Japan gets nearly 90% of its crude oil. In an emergency, a special order could be issued by the Japanese defense minister to authorize the forces to use weapons to protect ships in danger.

Friction between Iran and the United States has increased since last year, when President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and re-imposed sanctions, crippling Iran’s economy. In May and June, there were several attacks on foreign merchant vessels in the region, including the Japanese-owned tanker Kokuka Courageous, which the United States blamed on Iran. Tehran has denied all accusations.