July 13, 2019

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on July 12 expressed his opposition to any intent to dispatch Self-Defense Force units to waters off Iran as part of yet another global “coalition of the willing” led by the U.S. Trump administration.

Shii made this remark during his street speech delivered in Saitama’s Koshigaya City in support of a JCP candidate for the July 21 Upper House election.

In the ongoing election campaign, the position Japan should take in response to the U.S. Trump administration announcing its intent to form a military coalition in the waters off Iran has become an issue.

Shii in his speech pointed out that the current crisis with Iran was triggered by the unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal. Shii said, “The Trump administration, which should be blamed for causing the current dispute with Iran, seeks to adopt a militaristic approach to address the situation. This is totally unacceptable. An SDF dispatch would only work to further heighten tensions.”

Shii referred to the fact that President Trump approved military strikes against Iran and then cancelled the strikes just ten minutes before they were to commence. Stating that the president still sticks to the option to attack Iran, Shii pointed out that Trump’s stance means that the U.S. is ready to deliver an attack against Iran at anytime.

Stressing that if SDF troops are sent to a “coalition of the willing” after the U.S. begins an attack against Iran, they will inevitably be forced to participate in the U.S.-led war, Shii said that the JCP will absolutely oppose any move to dispatch the SDF to the region.

Shii pointed out that what Japan should do now is to make efforts in collaboration with European nations to have America return to the Iran nuclear deal and to promote diplomatic solutions to the present U.S.-Iran crisis. Shii also called for Iran to exercise self-restraint.

Shii mentioned that Japan, with its war-renouncing Constitution, has built a reputation among Middle East countries as a nation opposed to war. He said that Japan’s role in the current situation is to call on nations concerned to hold a dialogue for the purpose of settling the dispute by diplomatic means, adding that Japan should act using a policy of peaceful diplomacy based on Article 9 of the Constitution.

Past related article:
> Shii condemns Trump’s decision to withdraw US from Iran nuclear deal [May 10, 2018]