March 6 & 8, 2026

It was revealed on March 8 that the Aegis-guided missile destroyers “Milius” and “John Finn”, based at the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base (Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Pref.), had launched Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles during the U.S.-Israeli “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran.

These missiles fired from the two Yokosuka-based warships may have killed Iranian civilians. This demonstrates that a U.S. military base in Japan is being used for airstrikes that are completely unrelated to “Japan’s defense”.

The U.S. Navy has deployed a force of six Aegis destroyers to the Arabian Sea, operating independently from the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group. The USS Milius and USS John Finn are among them. These six ships appear to be specialized as sea launched platforms for Tomahawk missiles against Iranian military targets.

Article 6 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty stipulates, “For the purpose of contributing to the security of Japan and the maintenance of international peace and security in the Far East, the United States of America is granted the use by its land, air and naval forces of facilities and areas in Japan.” Therefore, the participation of Japan-homeported warships in the ongoing military campaign against Iran violates the bilateral treaty. Meanwhile, when the U.S. Forces Japan conduct combat operations overseas, they are required to engage in “prior consultations” with Japan. However, no such “prior consultations” have ever been held.

The Japanese government is set to begin deploying Tomahawk missiles by the end of March, starting with the Aegis-equipped ship “Chokai” which is assigned to the Maritime Self-Defense Force Sasebo Naval Base (Sasebo City, Nagasaki Pref.). The Ministry of Defense has already purchased 400 Tomahawk missiles from the United States.

The government claims that the deployment of the Tomahawks is to bolster Japan’s “counterstrike capabilities,” but in reality, Tomahawk cruise missiles are being used for the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran in violation of both the UN Charter and international law. This is incompatible with Japan’s “exclusively defensive defense” principle. The government should cancel the Tomahawk deployment plan.