In an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Morteza Rahmani Movahed talked about Japan’s movements in the defense and military fields in recent years, as well as the increase in security cooperation with regional and transregional countries: The development of Japan’s military activities began at the beginning of the administration of Shinzo Abe, the late Prime Minister of Japan. This process was so serious that even during Donald Trump’s time, the Japanese compensated for some of the discontent between the two countries by supplying weapons, including the purchase of cruise ships and F-35 aircraft so that in addition to strengthening their military power, they also resisted and did not allow Trump’s excesses. They did not allow other sectors of their economy, including car tariffs, to be damaged.

Referring to the change in Japan’s internal laws, especially Article 9 of the Constitution, which does not allow Japan to militarize, the former ambassador of Iran in Japan said: Despite this law, the Japanese could interpret and justify this process as self-defense and recreate it and provide the ground for turning towards increasing military power. In recent years, this trend has developed significantly, and it is predicted that by 2027, Japan will allocate about 300 billion dollars to boost its military power, so that it will be the third country after China and the United States to use its financial capacity to develop the defense or military sector.

The expert on East Asian issues noted: In this situation, we are witnessing an increase in Japan’s military budget, changes in internal laws, and the expansion of regional bilateral and multilateral defense relations.

Stating that Japan has traditionally been concerned about North Korea’s military, nuclear, and missile activities, he said: Recently, due to the growth of China’s presence and influence in parts of the Ocean and China Sea, Japan has focused on this issue that this country should not cross the red line of Tokyo, while the country is competing with South Korea and in East Asia; these three factors have caused the Japanese to pay special attention to the promotion of defense relations with the United States.

This expert on East Asian issues said about Japan’s entry into regional security arrangements: Japan’s entry into these arrangements, including its recent cooperation with the Philippines and some Southeast Asian countries, is within the framework of America’s request to this country to increase participation in regional security missions. Based on this, we are witnessing a revision in Japan’s defense security elements, which is very noticeable.

Rahmani Movahed said: Although Japan believes these measures and arrangements are defensive and based on the assessment of its own and the region’s security conditions, this country has increased its defense spending for the twelfth consecutive year. Also, in various military sectors, such as launching rockets into space, cooperation with domestic Japanese companies to produce military equipment, building shelters to deal with the threat of missiles and drones, and reducing the risks that disrupt security in the region, we see an increase in cooperation and activities of Japan.

Referring to this country’s decision to lift the arms export restriction, he stated: These restrictions mainly include the lifting of the restriction on the export of advanced aircraft, semiconductors, and chips, the transfer of parts of military production to the private sector, as well as the interaction and strengthening of the support center in the Pacific Ocean. That provides cyber security.

The former ambassador of Iran in Tokyo emphasized that the process of increasing the military budget and strengthening participation in Japan’s military activities since 2016 is going in the direction that this country will quickly improve its independent and mighty military power. He said Japan’s cooperation with the US will not decrease, and today, America has upgraded its command center in Japan.

He said: “The process of strengthening Japan’s military activities is a 25-year plan so that it can somehow repair the humiliation it suffered after the Second World War to lay the groundwork for Japan’s greater role in the region and internationally.” The Japanese are trying to show that they have this ability by relying on their military values and assets, and it seems that this process is going on in a way that will make Japan one of the military powers of the region and the world.