Tokyo, March 16 -- Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has held discussions with United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, reaffirming Tokyo's stance on the critical necessity of preserving peace and stability within the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East, NHK broadcaster reported.

During the telephone conversation, Hegseth provided Koizumi with a briefing on current regional developments.

He further provided assurances that the ongoing conflict involving Iran would result in "no changes" to the deployment or presence of American forces stationed in Japan.

The United States Secretary of War also reiterated Washington's dedicated commitment to enhancing the "deterrence and response capabilities" of the bilateral US-Jap...