TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's shipping and aviation industry was left reeling on Monday from the repercussions of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, with major shippers halting passage of their vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

While Nippon Yusen K.K., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. have stopped sailing through the crucial oil and energy transportation route, the Japanese Shipowners' Association said more than 40 Japan-related ships, including oil tankers, have been forced to remain in the Persian Gulf.

Japan imports about 95 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East, most of which passes through the strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

"If the closure is prolonged, it will have a tremendous impact on the Japanese economy," an executive of the association said.

For major Japanese energy company Jera Co., though, "there is no problem at the moment" in terms of the procurement of liquefied natural gas, according to an official. The firm will "make every effort for flexible fuel procurement" to ensure stable supplies, the official added.

The impact has also affected some flights, with Japan Airlines Co. saying it will suspend regular flights between Tokyo's Haneda airport and Doha, the capital of Qatar, through Sunday.

"We are thoroughly gathering information and running simulations for operations to resume immediately" once safety is confirmed, President Mitsuko Tottori said at a press conference on Monday.

ANA Holdings Inc., the parent of All Nippon Airways Co., said there has so far been no impact on its operations, citing that it does not operate services to the Middle East including Iran, nor does it fly above the country.

The regional conflict has also prompted several Japanese companies to start evacuating their employees.

Jera has told its staff members and local employees in the United Arab Emirates to leave the country, while trading house Marubeni Corp., which has an office in Tehran, the capital of Iran, has already evacuated its expatriates.

Major oil distributor Eneos Corp. is considering evacuating or asking its personnel in the UAE to return to Japan.