Japan sent a naval destroyer to the
Middle East on Sunday for a rare overseas mission to ensure the safety of its ships amid lingering tension between
Iran and the US.
The vessel left the Yokosuka naval base, south of Tokyo, for an information gathering mission in the Gulf of Oman, northern parts of the Arabian Sea and parts of the Gulf of Aden.
Japan earlier decided not to take part in the US-led Operation Sentinel to protect shipping routes in the region.