Chapter 2
Japan's Foreign Policy by Region
Section 7 The Middle East and North Africa
1 Overview
The Middle East and North Africa (hereinafter “the Middle East”) is located in a geopolitically important area: the crossroads of Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and South Asia. The region is a vital supplier of energy, representing approximately 50% of the world's oil reserves and 40% of the world's natural gas reserves and also is a market with high potential, pursuing the diversification of economy and decarbonization, especially in the Gulf countries, against a backdrop of a significant population growth rate.
Meanwhile, the region has gone through various conflicts and disputes throughout its history, and still faces a number of destabilizing factors and challenges. In particular, regarding the situation surrounding Gaza, following the terror attacks by Hamas and others against Israel in October 2023, the United States (U.S.), Qatar, and Egypt have made mediation efforts in order to achieve a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Diplomatic efforts have also been made at the United Nations for adopting multiple ceasefire resolutions. Japan engaged in repeated diplomatic efforts, based on its relations with the countries in the region and as a member of the G7 and of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and in close cooperation with the countries concerned to improve the humanitarian situation and help calm the situation as soon as possible.
As 2025 began, prolonged negotiations reached a crucial juncture, coinciding with coordination between Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration in the U.S. On January 15, an agreement on the release of hostages and a ceasefire was reached by the parties concerned, and came into effect on January 19. Foreign Minister Iwaya released a statement welcoming the agreement and urged the parties to implement the agreement steadily and in good faith. The G7 issued a leaders' statement expressing their full endorsement and support for the agreement.
The influence of the situation surrounding Gaza prior to the ceasefire agreement spilled over to other surrounding areas and heightened the tensions and instability throughout the Middle East. In the West Bank, restrictions on economic activity and people's mobility have exacerbated poor socio-economic conditions, while settler violence has expanded, creating friction between settlers and residents. Along the Israel-Lebanon border, there have been frequent battles and exchanges of attacks between the Israeli military and Hezbollah. In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, attacks on ships by the Houthis (Yemeni armed forces) have continued, along with frequent direct drone and missile attacks on Israel. In addition, as the unpredictability of the regional situation increased, there were repeated exchanges of retaliatory attacks between Israel and Iran. Iran launched direct strikes against Israel using missiles and other weaponry in April and October, while Israel in turn struck Iranian military facilities in late October. Furthermore, in December, Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad, who had ruled the country for many years, fled into exile due to domestic unrest, and his regime collapsed. In Afghanistan, there are concerns over further deterioration of the serious humanitarian situation since the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in August 2021.
The Biden administration in the U.S., which was inaugurated in January 2021, worked vigorously to address the rising regional tensions surrounding the situation in Gaza and the critical humanitarian situation, including by reaching out to Israel and other relevant countries, most notably by announcing proposals regarding negotiations for hostage release and a ceasefire at the end of May.
Given that Japan imports over 90% of its crude oil from the Middle East, the situation in the Middle East is directly tied to Japan's peace and prosperity. Therefore, it is extremely important for Japan to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, and to maintain and develop good relations with countries in the region. From this perspective, Japan in recent years has been striving to strengthen its ties with Middle Eastern countries in a wide range of fields that include the economy, politics, security, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. The 5th Japan-Arab Economic Forum was held in Tokyo in July and provided an opportunity to exchange views on future policies for strengthening economic relations with Arab countries and to build a multilayered network of the public and private sectors between Japan and Arab countries. Foreign Minister Kamikawa held foreign ministers' meetings with Egypt and Libya on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) Ministerial Meeting held in August. In September, Foreign Minister Kamikawa also held a Japan-Iran Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New York along with a Japan-Egypt-Jordan Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where the foreign ministers exchanged views on the increasingly tense situation in the Middle East. In addition, amid the instability in the energy market in the wake of the situation in Ukraine, Japan conducted outreach to the Gulf countries to help with the stabilization of the international crude oil market, including through telephone calls at the leaders' and foreign ministers' levels, and confirmed cooperation in a wide range of areas, including energy security.
In 2024, several natural disasters occurred in the Middle East, including devastating floods in northern Afghanistan (May). Japan has implemented various forms of humanitarian assistance, including through international organizations, to address the damage caused by these disasters.