A Japanese warship has left port near Tokyo on a mission to protect merchant ships and oil tankers passing through the Gulf of Oman.
The helicopter destroyer, Takanami, and its 200-strong crew will guard ships that supply ninety percent of Japan’s oil, as tension in the Middle East simmers.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government is prepared to authorise force to protect ships in danger, a controversial decision because Japan’s constitution forbids that move in settling international disputes.
