January 7, 2020

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on January 6 issued a statement condemning the unlawful use of force by the Trump administration and calling for a diplomatic resolution of the tension in the Gulf.

The full text of his statement is as follows:

(1)
The US forces killed the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, in a drone strike operation on January 3, 2020 at the Baghdad airport in Iraq, by order of President Trump. The incident has exacerbated tensions, resulting in the current grave situation in which Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, expressed his serious concern of an eruption of “another war in the Gulf.”

No nation has a right to kill a top official of a foreign sovereign state. Such an act is an unlawful preemptive attack which violates the UN Charter. The U.S. forces killed not only the targeted Iranian general but also leaders of Iraqi militia groups. The collateral killings are also unlawful.

The Japanese Communist Party strongly condemns the unlawful use of force by the Trump administration which is in violation of the UN Charter and related international laws.

(2)
The Trump administration has escalated its use of force on the excuse of what it calls measures of “self-defense” against rocket attacks on US facilities conducted by militia groups in Iraq.

The increase of tension between the US and Iran, however, did not originate with incidents during recent months, which the US claims to be attributed to Iran. Clearly, it started when the Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May, 2018.

The deal, which was signed in July 2015 by six nations including Iran, the U.S. and one international organization, the EU, was a significant achievement which opened the door to a peaceful resolution of the so-called Iran nuclear issue. The Trump administration’s unilateral withdrawal from the deal and its adoption of its “maximum pressure” policy brought grave setbacks to multilateral diplomatic efforts. The administration’s application of increased military pressure, including its call for the creation of an international “coalition” against Iran, heightened tensions further.

The Trump administration should be held accountable for the triggering of heightened tension by withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and for creating the possible danger of another war by its unlawful preemptive attacks.

(3)
What is now of grave concern is the danger of triggering a military clash between Iran and the US and its allies. If this happens, it will likely result in a devastating war in the Greater Middle East.

The only path to break through the deadlock is a return to efforts to find a diplomatic resolution. The Japanese Communist Party urges all the parties concerned to exercise maximum self-restraint and demands that the Trump administration immediately end its unlawful use of force and return to the Iran deal. We sincerely call for the international community to make urgent diplomatic efforts to help bring this about.

The Abe administration of Japan has made a cabinet decision to send a Self-Defense Forces unit to the sea off the Middle East, in de facto accepting of President Trump’s call to join its “coalition.” The decision is increasingly recognized as reckless and dangerous in light of the exacerbating tension in the region.

The Japanese Communist Party strongly demands that the Abe administration immediately revoke the cabinet decision to send troops to the Middle East. We emphasize that what the Japanese government should do now is engage in diplomatic efforts to have President Trump return to the Iran nuclear deal.