China pressing Iran to help rein in Houthis after Saudi appeal, sources say

China has privately asked Tehran to help rein in Yemen’s Houthis after an appeal to Beijing by Saudi Arabia following the Iran-backed group’s military blitz in the past week, according to three Iranian sources familiar with the matter.

Riyadh turned to China for help after the Houthis made rapid advances along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, moves that have left Saudi oil exports and shipping more exposed, the sources say.

China has publicly called for restraint, dialogue and the restoration of safe navigation, but its private message went further than the public statements, they say.

Beijing wants Iran to use its influence with the Houthis to help prevent the conflict spreading further across energy routes on which China, the world’s second-largest economy, depends.

The sources, who have been briefed on the discussions and have spoken on condition of anonymity, do not provide details of how the message was delivered or whether it was conveyed during a visit to China yesterday by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The sources say Tehran’s response was that stability and peace in the region depend on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Chinese officials did not issue any explicit threats or indicate that Beijing would seek to pressure Tehran economically if it failed to use its influence over the Houthis, the three Iranian sources say.

In response to a Reuters request for comment, the Chinese foreign ministry says: “China does not wish to see regional tensions further spill over into Yemen and the Red Sea. Escalating regional instability is not in the interests of any party.”

“The sovereignty and security of all countries should be respected, and facilities vital to people’s livelihoods must not be targeted. China calls for an end to actions that further complicate the situation and urges resolving issues through dialogue and negotiation,” it says.

Iran’s foreign ministry and the Saudi government’s media office do not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.