Japan will release an additional 20 days’ worth of oil from its reserves starting May, prime minister Sanae Takaichi said on Friday, as Tokyo scrambles to stabilise domestic supply amid ongoing disruption from the Iran conflict.

Japan, which depends on the Middle East for around 95 per cent of its oil, had already begun releasing reserves in March as part of a broader plan to make up to 50 days’ supply available. The latest tranche will come from public stockpiles, which stood at around 230 days’ worth of oil as of early April.

Takaichi said Japan expects to secure more than half of its oil imports via routes that bypass the Strait by May, including increased shipments from the United States.

Imports from the US are set to rise sharply, alongside efforts to source crude from countries such as Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Nigeria and Angola.

Tokyo is also relying on alternative Middle Eastern routes that avoid Hormuz, including shipments via Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu and the UAE’s Fujairah port.

The government has asked suppliers to prioritise direct fuel deliveries to critical sectors, including healthcare, transport and agriculture, as authorities brace for continued volatility in global energy markets.

Islamabad has been placed on high alert, with more than 10,000 security personnel deployed across Islamabad, the capital preparing to host crucial peace talks between the United States and Iran.

Authorities have implemented a sweeping, multi-layered security plan overseen by the military, with support from paramilitary Rangers, as well as Islamabad and Punjab police forces. Traffic and highway police have also been mobilised to manage movement across the city.

The deployment includes around 6,000 Islamabad police personnel, 900 Frontier Constabulary troops and 3,000 members of the Punjab Constabulary, alongside Rangers and Pakistan Army units. An additional 1,000 traffic police officers have been stationed to control roads and diversions.

Talks are scheduled for Saturday but the delegations are expected to start arriving on Friday.

The Dawn newspaper reported that a 30-member US team has already arrived in Islamabad to review security arrangements.

The US delegation to the Islamabad talks will be led by vice president JD Vance, joined by senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, signa.

Iran will be represented by foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, reflecting high-level engagement from both sides as efforts continue to stabilise the fragile ceasefire.

Security has been tightened particularly in the city’s high-security “red zone”, where key govepnment buildings and diplomatic sites are located.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese is meeting Singapore counterpart Lawrence Wong on Friday as Canberra looks to shore up fuel supplies amid ongoing disruptions linked to the Iran conflict.

Speaking after arriving in Singapore late on Thursday, Albanese said the talks come at a time when “fuel security is on the agenda right around the globe” due to the crisis in the Middle East.

Singapore – Asia’s key oil trading hub – is Australia’s largest supplier of petrol and a major source of diesel and jet fuel.

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains near standstill despite a fragile ceasefire, tightening global supply.

Australia imported about 84% of its petroleum needs last year.

Australia supplies about one-third of Singapore’s liquefied natural gas imports, while importing around 26% of its refined fuel from the city-state.

“Australia and Singapore are strategically aligned… and that is why it’s so important that at difficult times in the world we can rely upon each other,” Albanese said.

Singapore’s own refining sector is also under pressure. Despite a combined capacity of about 1.2 million barrels per day, refineries have cut output due to disrupted crude supplies following the Strait’s closure.

According to data from road insurer NRMA, Singapore accounted for 54.7% of Australia’s petrol imports – nearly 6 billion litres – with South Korea and India the next largest suppliers.

Stocks rose on Friday as investors remained cautiously optimistic about the fragile US-Iran ceasefire ahead of planned weekend talks, while oil prices inched higher.

Asian equity markets extended weekly gains in early trading, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei each rising by at least 1 per cent.

Singapore and Manila also posted solid gains, although Sydney slipped.

The positive momentum followed another strong session on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 closed 0.6 per cent higher on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Brent crude climbed 1 per cent to $96.83 a barrel as trading resumed in Asia, reflecting lingering concerns over supply despite the tentative diplomatic progress.

Admiral Brad Cooper, the leader of US Central Command, said in a video posted to social media Thursday, “Iran has suffered a generational military defeat”.

“The United States and Israel systemically destroyed Iran’s ability to conduct large-scale military operations for years to come”, the admiral added.

Cooper said that while military operations have been paused amid a two-week ceasefire, “We remain present. We remain vigilant and we remain ready if called”.

The United States has summoned Iraq’s ambassador following a drone strike near key diplomatic facilities in Baghdad, in the latest escalation linked to the Iran war.

US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau called in Iraqi Ambassador Nizar Khirullah on Thursday after a drone hit an area close to a major US diplomatic installation, the State Department said.

Earlier, the US Embassy in Baghdad accused Iran-aligned “terrorist militias” of carrying out multiple drone attacks near the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center and Baghdad International Airport on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Landau acknowledged efforts by Iraqi security forces to respond, but stressed what Washington described as the government’s failure to prevent the attacks.

The State Department said the US expects Iraq to take concrete steps to dismantle Iran-backed militia groups operating in the country.

It also alleged that some elements within Iraq’s state apparatus continue to provide political, financial and operational backing to these groups.

Violence has surged across Iraq since the start of the Iran conflict, with dozens reported killed, according to Iraqi health authorities.

The casualties include civilians, members of Iran-linked Shi’ite Popular Mobilisation Forces, US-allied Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, as well as police and army personnel.

Just a day after Donald Trump floated the idea of turning the Strait of Hormuz into a “joint” tollbooth to enrich the US and Iran, the British government revealed that a joint operation with Norway had been undertaken to protect Nato’s northern flank.

The move, combined with a visit this week by Keir Starmer to the Arabian Gulf, is the latest sign that even Europe’s Anglo-Saxons are pulling away from Washington. The UK and its allies are determined to defend the alliances and principles of international law that the US president and his deputy are keen to destroy.

Kuwait’s National Guard said one of its bases was hit by a drone attack, the Associated Press reported.

The attack caused damage to the base, but no injuries were reported.

Donald Trump has issued a lengthy rant on social media against former MAGA faithfuls he calls “losers”.

“They think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon — Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs”, Trump wrote on Truth Social late Thursday afternoon.