In relation to Iran, Japan needs to get its priorities straight. Currently, Japan is spending only 1 percent of its gross domestic product on defense while living in a dangerous region. It is critical for Japan's economic and strategic security that the United States remain willing to protect Japan's sea routes from the Middle East.
And Japan can't hope to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council if it continues to do oil deals with an Iran obviously bent on acquiring nuclear weapons while thumbing its nose at the international community.
Condoleezza Rice, on her first trip abroad as U.S. secretary of state, made clear that she does not think the Europeans are being tough enough on Iran. The U.S. is certainly getting more serious about warning others that they cannot continue to do business as usual in Iran and expect to do business in America. BP has already pulled out of Iran, no doubt because of the risk to its investments in the U.S. So have a number of other European companies, as well as large U.S. companies such as Halliburton.