The meeting that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will have at the White House on Thursday originally seemed like a prime opportunity to have President Donald

US allies have either pushed back or remained cautious on Trump's initial request to send ships to the crucial oil route.

By Tim Kelly TOKYO, March 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's call for allies to send warships to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz has revived questions about how far pacifist Japan can go to support its closest ally in a conflict.

The Marine Corps unit expected to arrive in the Middle East next week could help seize one of more of the strategic islands off Iran’s southern coast to counter Iranian attacks on shipping.

In the wake of U.S. and Israeli attacks, Iran has effectively shut down the waterway by threatening to target ships that pass through it

South Korean stocks have been battered by the war, but buying the dip could pay off.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi held telephone talks with his Iranian counterpart on March 17 and urged Tehran to immediately halt actions that threaten the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump is urging countries to help safeguard the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping lane, but no nations have publicly committed to the effort.