Iran Tracker

Reaction to June 2009 Iranian Presidential Election:

In June, 2009, Japan expressed concern over the handling of the security situation following the re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In a statement, the Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said that "[a] situation that produces casualties should be avoided and our country strongly calls for a peaceful resolution."[1] Following Ahmadinejad’s inauguration in August 2009, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso sent a letter of congratulations to the Iranian president, expressing his hope that Iran will be able to aid in the establishment of international peace.[2]

Nuclear:

In 2005, Japan voted to take Iran to the UN Security Council for noncompliance with International Atomic Energy Agency regulations; Tokyo has since voted in favor of all UNSC sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program since. [3] Kenzo Oshama, Japan’s permanent representative to the UN, said in December 2006 that Iran has refused to comply with the resolutions against its nuclear program and that the situation has worsened since the issue first appeared before the Security Council in 2005.[4] In May 2007, Japan froze the assets of a number of Iranian individuals and institutions for involvement in Iran’s nuclear program, and, in January 2008, Japan agreed to chair the 2009 UN Sanctions Committee on Iran, which is in charge of implementing UNSC sanctions on Iran.[5]  In May 2009, Japan said it shared the concerns of the international community on Iran’s nuclear program and hoped that Iran would take “positive” steps to resolve the issue through the UN and diplomatic channels.[6] In July 2009, Yukiya Amano replaced Mohamed ElBaradei as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency; following his election to the post, Amano stated that he did not “see any evidence in IAEA official documents” to support claims that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapons program.[7] The United States and other Western governments supported Amano’s nomination for the position of director general of the IAEA.[8]

Iran and Japan voiced their readiness at the end of December 2010 to develop cooperation in the nuclear arena. In a meeting with Japanese Ambassador Akio Shirota, Member of Parliament Alaeddin Boroujerdi said Tehran will welcome nuclear cooperation with Tokyo. Boroujerdi, chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, also said Iran is interested in enhancing ties with Tokyo in all areas. He said that there is great potential for both countries to cooperate for joint benefit.[9] Shirota also underlined the important role of parliament for bolstering the two countries' relations, and noted that "Japan's house of representatives wants [an] expansion of ties and friendly interactions with the Iranian parliament."[10] Several days later, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said that Brazil, Japan, Turkey, and Iranian Kish Island are among the potential sites for exchanging nuclear fuel if the West agrees with Iran’s proposal for a fuel swap in stages.[11]

Economic Relationship:

Japan and Iran have maintained trade relations since the Islamic Republic took power in 1979. [12] In May 2009, Japanese ministers participated in a large conference on foreign investment in Iran hosted in Tehran.[13]  As one of Iran’s largest trading partners, Japan’s trade with the Islamic Republic consists mostly of Iranian oil exports to Japan, which makes up $11 billion of the countries’ $13 billion annual trade.[14]  Japan also attended the Iranian gas forum from September 26 to 27, 2009 along with Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Malaysia.[15]

In September 2009, Kuwait overtook Iran as Japan’s fourth largest supplier of crude oil. Iran became Japan’s fifth largest supplier with 9.42 million barrels, down 27.9 percent from 12 million barrels in.[16]

In October 2009, Iran asked Japan to deal solely in yen for oil deals between the two countries.  This request came after the Iranian Trade Promotion Organization announced a plan to completely exclude the US dollar from all of Iran’s foreign revenues and reserves, instead encouraging all countries to use local currency rather than the US dollar.[17]

[Click here for more information on Japan’s business activity with Iran.]

Diplomatic/Military Cooperation:

According to Iran’s charge d’affairs of Iran’s embassy in Tokyo, Mansoureh Sharif-i Sadr, Iran and Japan have had political relations for more than 80 years. [18] Iran and Japan maintain embassies in Tokyo and Tehran despite disagreements over Iran’s nuclear program. Official political ties have continued bilaterally and multilaterally between Iran and Japan, but disagreements over Iran’s nuclear enrichment activities have impeded friendly political relations in recent years. [19]

Despite differences over Iran’s nuclear program, Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hirofumi Nakasone met with Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki in April 2009.  Nakasone welcomed Mottaki to Japan for the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Ministerial Meeting and encouraged Iran to take steps to improving its relations with the United States.  Mottaki stated that he hoped the two countries could strengthen their bilateral relations.[20]

In June 2009, the Group of Eight (G8), of which Japan is a part, held a meeting in Trieste, Italy to discuss security in Pakistan and Afghanistan. At the meeting, the foreign ministers of the G8 nations demanded “that violence [in Iran]…cease immediately” and called upon Iran to find peaceful solutions to the political crisis.[21]

During a July 2009 meeting between the Japanese Ambassador to Iran Akio Shirota and Manouchehr Mottaki, the two sides congratulated each other on the eighty-year anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ties. Mottaki stated that the two have created a ‘road map’ for future relations and lauded Tokyo’s positive involvement in regional issues.[22] In August 2009, Iranian Ambassador to Japan Seyed Abbas Araghchi echoed this sentiment, stating that “continuation of high-level visits and political interaction with Japan is on the agenda [of the new Iranian administration].” Araghchi also added that improved ties with Tokyo would lead to “better interaction other countries in East Asia, including China and India.”[23]