March 3, 2026

Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee Chair Tamura Tomoko at a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee on March 2 urged the Japanese government to demand that the United States and Israel halt their strikes against Iran, stating that their preemptive attack was in clear violation of the UN Charter and international law.

However, Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said, “Israel claims that it is conducting military operations in accordance with the UN Charter and international law, and the United States and Iran assert that they are acting under Article 51 of the UN Charter.”

Tamura responded, “The UN Charter calls on all member states to respect the sovereignty of nations and to refrain from the threat or use of force,” adding, “The use of force is permitted only by a UN Security Council resolution or in the exercise of the right to self-defense. The ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes fall under neither category.” She warned, “If a preemptive attack and war of aggression aimed at overthrowing the regime of a sovereign state were permitted, the postwar international order of peace would collapse.”

Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae avoided making a legal assessment of the U.S.-Israeli attack. She just said, “I don’t have detailed information to determine whether it constituted a measure for self-defense.”

Tamura stated that Iran’s nuclear development program is unacceptable as a matter of course, but that it is an issue that should be addressed through diplomatic negotiations. She cited that Oman, as a mediator, had reported to the international community just before the U.S.-Israeli preemptive attack that Iran had agreed to accept full verification by the IAEA of its nuclear program and that Iran-U.S. talks were proceeding constructively.

In response, Foreign Minister Motegi said, “The United States does not necessarily recognize what Oman said. I suppose there must have been significant differences of opinion during their talks.”

Tamura criticized Motegi’s remark, “Are you justifying the preemptive attack because of a divergence of opinions?” She urged the Japanese government to persuade the preemptive aggressors, the United States and Israel, to cease their strikes against Iran and to return to diplomatic negotiations.

PM Takaichi said that Japan had strongly supported the Washington-Tehran negotiations, but that the failure of their talks led to the current situation.

Tamura condemned the Japanese government for being unable to criticize the U.S.-Israeli preemptive attack, and again urged the government to press the United States and Israel to cease their strikes.