Japanese PM warns Israel against strike on Iran

Yoshiko Noda tells Defense Minister Ehud Barak that military action could escalate situation in region, calls for diplomatic solution

Ynet|Published: 02.15.12 , 21:27

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda warned Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday against taking military action in Iran over its nuclear ambitions, the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported, citing local Foreign Ministry officials.

According to the report, Noda told Barak in a meeting that launching a strike on the Islamic Republic would be ''extremely dangerous'' and would ''escalate'' the situation in the region. He urged Israel to resolve the dispute through diplomatic and peaceful means.

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The Japanese prime minister has also asked Barak to exercise restraint following the recent attacks on Israeli diplomatic targets in India and Georgia. He condemned the bombings, calling them "unacceptable." Barak refused to answer when asked how Israel is to respond the terror.

During the meeting, the defense minister called on Japan to join the sanctions on Tehran. Noda said that his country will make an effort to reduce the amount of oil it imports from Iran. Some 10% of Japan's oil comes from the Islamic Republic.

Barak said following the meeting that he and Noda primarily discussed Iran, and terror groups the likes of Hezbollah. He said that the acts of terror in Bangkok, Delhi and Tbilisi constitute a violation of diplomatic laws.

The defense minister recently made comments over the military option against Iran, causing an international stir. The New York Times reported that the US government is detecting an inconsistency between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Barak's positions on the issue. According the report, an official US source noted that Netanyahu's recent call for silence on the possibility of a strike is "good advice."