Japan's energy security model, which is heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil, was severely tested by the conflict with Iran. Although a temporary ceasefire has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, analysts warn that Japan's vulnerabilities remain significant.

Japan’s energy security has long hinged on Middle Eastern oil. The Iran war simply exposed how breakable that lifeline had become. While a two-week ceasefire agreed on Tuesday promises some relief by reopening the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic, analysts say the shock has laid bare vulnerabilities Tokyo cannot easily paper over. As an archipelago nation with no cross-border pipelines, Japan draws more than 95 per cent of its crude from the Middle East and routes the bulk of it through the...