EghtesadOnline: Japanese refiners have started weighing alternative crude supply sources that would not need to transit through the Strait of Hormuz, including from the Red Sea side in Saudi Arabia, West Africa and the US, amid rising tensions in the region, Petroleum Association of Japan President Takashi Tsukioka said Friday.

EghtesadOnline: Japanese refiners are seeking clarity on whether there will be an extension to the 180-day sanctions waiver from Washington in March, as they hope to continue buying Iranian oil without any disruption, Petroleum Association of Japan's president Takashi Tsukioka said Friday.