Middle-east a tinderbox amid Iran-US-Iraq flare-up, Japan PM Shinzo Abe breaks silence

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has tried to carve out a role mediating between Washington and Tehran, said Monday he was "deeply worried" by tensions in Middle East.

US assassination of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani last week has raised fears of an all-out conflict, with President Donald Trump threatening "major retaliation" if Tehran makes good on a pledge to avenge killing.

"Middle Eastern tensions are increasing. I'm deeply worried about current situation," Abe said in his first comments since killing of Soleimani in Iraq.

"A furr escalation in this situation should be avoided and I call for diplomatic efforts by parties concerned."

Tokyo and Tehran have maintained diplomatic ties for deces, even through crisis with West sparked by Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution and subsequent frictions over its nuclear programme.

In June, as tensions rose over Trump's decision to withdraw from a nuclear deal with Tehran, Abe visited Iran for talks with Supreme Leer Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

But his visit coincided with a suspected attack on two oil tankers in Sea of Oman, off Iranian coast, which again sent tensions in Gulf soaring.

And Khamenei categorically ruled out talks with Trump despite Abe's efforts to smooth a path.

Abe later met Rouhani on sidelines of UN General Assembly, and in December welcomed Iranian leer to Japan -- first visit by an Iranian he of state in two deces.

Japan has walked a fine line in balancing its key alliance with Washington and its longstanding relations and interests with Iran.

It was formerly a major buyer of Iranian crude but stopped purchases to comply with US sanctions imposed after Washington unilaterally quit nuclear deal in May 2018.

It has opted t to join a US-led coalition patrolling waterways in Middle East, proposed by Washington after tanker attack during Abe's Iran visit.

But it has said it will send a military vessel and two patrol planes to region for intelligence activities.

Japanese patrol activities will t, however, be deployed in Strait of Hormuz, through which much of global oil tre passes and where US-led coalition operates.