Most Japanese oppose helping Trump fight his war on Iran, polls show

Most Japanese people oppose sending warships to the Middle East in response to the war on Iran, according to two polls conducted over the weekend amid continued US pressure on allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.In a Yomiuri newspaper survey, 67 per cent voiced opposition to sending the nation’s Self-Defence Forces to the region, while an ANN poll showed 52 per cent against their deployment.The polls also showed elevated approval ratings for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet, at 71 per cent and 65.2 per cent respectively, with a comfortable majority positively evaluating the outcome of Takaichi’s talks with US President Donald Trump on Thursday.Takaichi avoided a showdown with Trump over Japan’s support for securing the strait, but the president continued to pressure Tokyo to do its part. Most of the East Asian nation’s oil imports depend on the waterway, which has been effectively blocked.Trump and Takaichi talk in the Oval Office of the White House on Saturday. Photo: White House/Planet Pix/Zuma Press Wire/dpaThe prime minister said she explained to Trump that while Japan was willing to contribute to the efforts, there were limits to what it can do due to legal constraints. Still, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi indicated at the weekend that the sending of minesweepers after a ceasefire could be considered.