Tokyo, March 26: Japan began releasing 30 days’ worth of oil from state reserves on Thursday to cushion the impact of the West Asia conflict on its economy, as concerns over supply mount and oil prices soar, local media reported.

The move came after the country started drawing down 15 days’ worth of oil from private-sector stockpiles last Monday, reports Xinhua news agency

The government plans to sell a total of about 8.5 million kiloliters of oil from 11 storage bases across the country, according to Kyodo News.

Japan will also begin to tap joint oil reserves held in the country by three Middle Eastern nations, including the United Arab Emirates, with five days’ worth to be released by next Tuesday for supply to oil wholesalers.

Japan relies on the Middle East for more than 90 per cent of its crude oil imports, leaving it highly vulnerable to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of the Middle East conflict in late February. The disruption has driven sharp rises in both crude oil and retail gasoline prices in the country.

In addition to tapping oil reserves, the Japanese government also resumed gasoline subsidies to cap fuel costs for consumers. The measure has brought the average retail price for regular gasoline down to 177.7 yen (about 1.11 US dollars) per litre from a record high of 190.8 yen last week, according to Kyodo News.

As of the end of 2025, Japan held an oil reserve equivalent to 254 days of domestic demand.

The impact of the tensions in West Asia is being seen in several nations.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on Wednesday signed a law allowing the government to temporarily suspend or cut fuel excise taxes on petroleum when global oil prices reach a set threshold.

Republic Act No. 12316 authorises the president, upon the recommendation of the Development Budget Coordination Committee and in coordination with the Secretary of the Department of Energy, to act when the average price of Dubai crude oil reaches or exceeds 80 U.S. dollars per barrel for one month.

Under the law, any suspension or reduction of fuel excise taxes may be implemented for up to three months at a time, but not exceeding a total of one year.

The tax rates will automatically revert to their original levels either one week after the one-month average Dubai crude price falls below 80 US dollars per barrel, or after three months have elapsed, whichever comes first.

The measure is designed to give the government a flexible tool to cushion the impact of rising fuel costs on consumers and the broader economy.

The act will take effect in 15 days, and the authority granted to the president under the measure will remain in effect until December 31, 2028.

Canberra, March 25: Only 26 per cent of Australians approve of the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran and half the population would oppose the deployment of Australian troops, a poll has found.

The latest edition of The Essential Report, a monthly poll on social and political issues conducted by independent firm Essential Research, found that 10 per cent of Australians strongly approve and 16 per cent approve of the US and Israel’s decision to initiate strikes on Iran, Xinhua news agency reported.

By comparison, 27 per cent of respondents said they strongly disapprove of the war and 15 per cent said they disapprove, with the remaining participants either neutral or unsure.

Asked about Australia’s involvement in the ongoing conflict, 50 per cent of participants in the poll said they would oppose sending troops to support US-Israeli ground operations in Iran, compared to 21 per cent who said they would support such a move.

Respondents were also more likely to oppose than support Australia sending weapons and equipment to support third-party nations impacted by Iranian retaliatory strikes, such as the United Arab Emirates.

A clear majority of respondents, 60 per cent, were supportive of Australia working with international organizations to help peace talks and prevent further escalation.

In terms of diplomatic and trade relationships, 34 per cent of participants in the poll said that Australia should be working less closely with the United States, up from 14 per cent in 2021.

The poll of 1,008 people last week found 43 per cent disapproved of the US and Israeli bombardment of Iran, while just 26 per cent backed the move. Some 31 per cent were unsure or responded “don’t know”.

New Delhi, March 25: For Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, countering the pro-Iran Shia mobilisation in the country is increasingly becoming a headache. For Pakistan, countering this mobilisation is important as it is threatening to become bigger. However, the dilemma the establishment faces is that it cannot use its official machinery to take on the mobilisation of the Shias.

Pakistan has chosen to mediate between Iran and the United States, and hence it needs to remain neutral. Any direct action against the Shia mobilisation would infuriate Iran, and this is something that Islamabad wants to avoid.

An official said that Pakistan has now brought back its proxies to take on this problem. The Pakistan Army chief has ordered hardline Sunni elements and leaders from the Sipah-e-Sabah (SeS) and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) to take on the Shias who are mobilising in large numbers in support of Iran. These groups have, in the past, come to the rescue of the Pakistan establishment. When it comes to countering protesters who were seeking justice for jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, it was these elements who took to the streets.

The members of the SeS and JuD have the backing of the army and ISI and have been given a free hand to indulge in street violence against those who are questioning the establishment, an official said.

The SeS is a banned Sunni Deobandi Islamist organisation and a former political party that was founded in 1985. This outfit came into existence only to oppose Shia influence in Pakistan. The SeS has a history of being involved in sectarian conflicts, including violence with the Shia organisation, Shipah-e-Muhammad, Pakistan.

The JuD, on the other hand, is the charity wing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The JuD follows the Ahl-i Hadith interpretation of Islam, which is similar to Wahhabism and Salafism.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that by involving the SeS and JuD, the Pakistan army chief would look to put down the mobilisation of the Shia. Since these groups have no accountability, the violence would not be blamed on the state, but on two individual organisations. This helps in the deniability factor, when Pakistan speaks with Iran, the official added.

Such violence will no doubt be scrutinised internationally and by foreign Intelligence agencies. The establishment would, however, try to get away by putting the blame on the SeS and JuD, while stating that it has nothing to do with them.

Another official said that both groups have been given immunity by the establishment. This means that they can choose to act the way they please.

Another official said that with such a plan in place, one could anticipate street violence and bloody clashes with the Shias in Pakistan.

By trying to mediate between Iran and the US, Pakistan wants to place itself in a position of power. Pakistan also wants to claim geopolitical relevance by offering to mediate between the two warring nations.

Field Marshal Asim Munir has taken this task upon himself and has been engaging directly with Iranian President Masood Pezeshkian. He has also been leveraging his relations with some of the Gulf nations and the US.

With Pakistan wanting geopolitical relevance, it cannot afford to officially crush the mobilisation that is taking place in support of Iran. If Pakistan ends up angering Iran at this juncture, then Tehran may not come to the table. This would hurt Pakistan’s ambitions of playing mediator and reclaiming geopolitical importance, another official said.

The JuD and the SeS have readily accepted what the Pakistan army chief has said, as they have done in the past. Officials say that both these outfits have had an agenda against the Shias for a long time, and hence the offer made by Field Marshal Munir is more than welcome for them.