Tokyo ? Japan’s upper house of parliament voted today to halt the country’s air force transport mission in Iraq, intensifying the opposition bloc’s standoff with the government over Tokyo’s role in peacekeeping missions abroad.

The opposition-controlled upper house approved the Democratic Party of Japan’s bill to halt the mission in a vote of 133-103 during a plenary session.

However, the legislation is expected to be voted down when it goes to the more powerful lower house, where the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has enough votes to override the upper chamber’s decision.

The vote comes amid a political battle over Japan’s mission in the Indian Ocean in support of U.S.-led troops fighting in Afghanistan. The mission was halted Nov. 1 after the opposition blocked its extension in parliament.

Japan backed the U.S. invasion of Iraq and provided ground troops for a non-combat, humanitarian mission from 2004-2006 in the southern Iraqi city of Samawah.

Since removing ground troops from Samawah last July, Japan has expanded its Kuwait-based air operations, airlifting U.N. and coalition personnel and supplies into Baghdad and other Iraqi cities.