Recently, Japan faced a dilemma: a merchant ship operated by a Japanese company was seized by Yemen's Houthi forces. Israel insisted that the vessel did not belong to them, while Japan** confirmed ownership of the vessel. Despite calls from both Japan and the United States for the release of the detained merchant ships, the Houthis have not responded. Due to tensions between the Houthis and the United States, the U.S. appeal is likely to be ineffective. Therefore, Japan decided to turn to Iran for help. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has already called on Iran to put pressure on the Houthis to release the seized merchant ship and held in-depth discussions on the current tensions in the Middle East. This plea is not surprising, given Iran's close ties to the Houthis and the fact that the United States is no longer involved.
Despite Japan's close ties with the United States, it remains to be seen whether Japan's appeal to Iran will live up to expectations. On the one hand, Iran's relations with the United States are strained, and Iran is not necessarily willing to help Japan in such a complex relationship. Japan, on the other hand, was involved in the U.S. sanctions against Iran and froze some of Iran's assets. Therefore, even if Iran ultimately rejects Japan's request, or offers help without meeting expectations, Japan cannot complain.
The seizure of the merchant ship comes at a time when the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has not subsided, and the Houthis have said they have launched attacks on Israeli ships and said they will be targeted. If the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to escalate, Israeli-linked ships will continue to be seized or attacked. This has become one of the negative effects of the conflict.
As the seizure of merchant ships continues to escalate, the United States and Israel will certainly not sit idly by. In particular, the United States has deployed two aircraft carrier battle groups in the Middle East, which may take action against forces such as the Houthis in the name of protecting allies or navigation safety, thus triggering greater turmoil and chaos in the Middle East. Historically, the United States has pursued its own interests by provoking conflicts in the Middle East, and this time may be no exception. Therefore, all parties need to remain vigilant, and the mountains and rains are about to come and the wind will fill the building.
As for Japan, in the face of the United States, although they have decided to turn to Iran for help, it is still unknown whether they will be able to achieve their goal. Although the heads of state of Japan and Iran met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Iran had hoped that Japan would lift restrictions on frozen assets, but Japan** did not agree. With that in mind, Japan's expectations for Iran are not too high.
In addition, Japan, as an operator of merchant ships, is facing the highest pressure and international pressure. The detained vessel has been contacted by the outside world, and the families of the crew are very concerned about the progress of the release of the vessel. Therefore, Japan must take action to avoid further deterioration of the situation. After all, it is crucial for Japan to find ways and find alternative solutions.
Summary: In order to solve the problem of the seizure of a merchant ship, Japan chose to turn to Iran for help. Despite the tensions between Iran and the United States, and Japan's close ties with the United States, Japan still hopes to resolve the issue through Iran's mediation. However, it is still unknown whether it will be able to succeed. At the same time, the dynamic development of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the instability of the situation in the Middle East have also brought more difficulties to Japan. In order to avoid further escalation, Japan must cooperate with Iran and seek the support and understanding of the international community. In the face of this problem, Japan needs to remain cautious and calm, while making full use of diplomacy to find solutions to ensure the safe release of merchant ships. Whether successful or not, this plea for help will have a certain impact on Japan's relations with the United States and bring new changes to the situation in the Middle East.