Japan Gets First Russian Oil Since Iran War
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- Japan received its first Russian crude shipment since the Feb 28 Iran war closed the Strait of Hormuz.
- Russia supplied oil from the Sakhalin‑2 field, which is exempt from sanctions imposed after the 2022 Ukraine invasion.
- Taiyo Oil was instructed by Japan’s economy ministry to offload the crude at the Imabari refinery.
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned the Asia‑Pacific oil supply squeeze and pledged urgent coordination with Australia’s Anthony Albanese.
- Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20 % of global oil flow; its closure has driven prices up.
- Foreign Policy ran a piece linking the Iran war’s impact on oil markets to the Russian shipment.
- Asia Times discussed lessons from U.S. failures in the Iran conflict while noting the broader energy crunch.
Why it matters: Japan secures a non‑Middle‑East oil source, lowering its reliance on the Hormuz‑blocked 95 % imports; Russia gains export revenue, while Asian refiners gain price stability but Japan‑Russia diplomatic friction rises.
