China Presses Iran to Rein in Houthis Following Saudi Appeal

China has privately asked Iran to help rein in Yemen’s Houthis following an appeal from Saudi Arabia, according to three Iranian sources familiar with the matter. The diplomatic push comes as rapid Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait threaten vital international shipping lanes and energy routes.

Riyadh turned to Beijing for assistance after the Iran-backed group launched a military blitz over the past week. The swift territorial gains left Saudi oil exports and shipping increasingly exposed to attacks near key maritime bottlenecks. While China has publicly called for restraint, dialogue, and the restoration of safe navigation, its private messages to Tehran have gone further.

Beijing wants Tehran to use its influence with the Houthis to prevent the ongoing conflict from spreading further across critical energy corridors. China relies heavily on Middle Eastern energy supplies, importing roughly half of its oil from the region. Trade between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council states totals around $300 billion.

Diplomatic Pressure and Regional Stakes

According to the Iranian sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Tehran responded by stating that regional stability and peace depend on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran. Beijing refrained from issuing direct threats or signaling any intention to exert economic leverage over Tehran in the event that Iranian authorities failed to exercise their leverage over the Houthis.

In response to requests for comment, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Beijing does not wish to see regional tensions spill over further into Yemen and the Red Sea. The ministry emphasized that escalating regional instability is not in the interests of any party, that facilities vital to people’s livelihoods must not be targeted, and that issues should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation.

For over ten years, Iran has been supplied by China as its leading trading partner, with Beijing remaining the primary destination for Iranian oil sales. Data released by commodities analytics provider Kpler indicated that shipments to China made up more than 80% of Iran’s total seaborne oil exports throughout 2025, reaching a daily average of roughly 1.4 million barrels. A senior Western diplomat in the region noted that Beijing is one of the few capitals that can still press Iran to rein in the Houthis.

Energy Security and Maritime Threats

The Houthis emerged in the 1990s in opposition to Saudi Arabia’s Sunni religious influence in Yemen. Iranian sources and Western countries confirm that the group is armed, trained, and funded by Iran as part of its anti-Western and anti-Israel “Axis of Resistance.”

Global energy markets face the danger of a severe escalation if the Houthis continue threatening maritime traffic in the Red Sea and across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. These risks are compounded by Iran starting blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Continuous Houthi assaults against shipping vessels or port infrastructure in the Red Sea would simultaneously paralyze the two primary petroleum export corridors of the Middle East, thereby igniting a fresh crisis in the global energy sector and intensifying the ongoing standoff between Iran and the United States.

Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, observed that while Beijing may oppose US pressure on Tehran, its interests in the Middle East extend well beyond Iran.