China has privately asked Iran to use its influence to rein in Yemen’s Houthis following an appeal from Saudi Arabia after the Iran-backed group made rapid military advances over the past week, according to three Iranian sources familiar with the matter.
The sources said Riyadh turned to Beijing for help after the Houthis made rapid gains along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, increasing exposure for Saudi oil exports and shipping.
China has publicly called for restraint, dialogue and the restoration of safe navigation. However, the sources said Beijing’s private message went further than its public statements.
Beijing seeks to prevent wider conflict
The sources said China wants Iran to use its influence over the Houthis to help prevent the conflict from spreading further across energy routes on which China, the world’s second-largest economy, depends.
The three sources were briefed on the discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity. They did not provide details on how the message was delivered or whether it was conveyed during Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s visit to China on Wednesday.
The sources said Tehran’s response was that regional stability and peace depended on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.
No economic pressure threats reported
According to the three Iranian sources, 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.
