Rome, Mar. 21 (LaPresse) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran is ready to facilitate the passage of Japanese ships through the Strait of Hormuz, and that negotiations with Japan on the issue are ongoing. Araghchi reported this himself by publishing on Telegram the phone interview given to Kyodo News, in which he said that Iran "has not closed the strait. From our point of view, it is open. It is closed only to the ships of our enemies, that is, the countries that attack us. For other countries, ships can pass through it." "Of course," he explained, "there are security issues. We are ready, if contacted, to ensure safe passage; we will dialogue with them to find a safe way to transit. We are ready to guarantee them safe passage. They just need to contact us to discuss the arrangements." "This issue was discussed in my last meeting with the Japanese Foreign Minister," the minister then specified. "Discussions are still ongoing and I will not go into details." Araghchi also emphasized that "Japan has always adopted a fair and balanced position and has always been considered a friend of Iran. We have always had excellent relations with Japan and we are aware of that. During this war, I have spoken twice with the Japanese Foreign Minister. We know that the Japanese Prime Minister has been to Washington. We hope that Japan can play a constructive role in ending this aggression and ensuring that this unjust war ends completely."