TOKYO, March 16 (Reuters) - Japan does not currently plan to dispatch naval vessels to escort ships in the Middle East, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on allies to help escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
"We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework," Takaichi told parliament.
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Trump's call in a social media post for U.S. allies, including Japan, to help protect oil and gas shipments through the strategic waterway puts Tokyo in a difficult position because its war-renouncing constitution limits the scope of overseas military operations it can conduct.
The United States has yet to make a formal request for assistance, Takaichi said.
(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Michael Perry)
