China Presses Iran to Rein In Houthis Following Saudi Appeal
China has privately asked Iran to help rein in Yemen’s Houthi movement following an appeal by Saudi Arabia, according to three Iranian sources familiar with the discussions. The diplomatic intervention by Beijing comes in response to a rapid military blitz by the Iran-backed group along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, developments that have left Saudi oil exports and shipping routes increasingly exposed.
Riyadh turned directly to Beijing for assistance after Houthi forces advanced in the area, the sources said. While China has publicly called for restraint, dialogue, and the restoration of safe navigation, its private message to Tehran went further. Beijing wants Iranian authorities to leverage their influence over the Houthis to prevent the ongoing conflict from spreading across vital energy corridors essential to the Chinese economy.
The three Iranian sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity after being briefed on the talks, did not provide specific details on how the message was delivered or whether it was conveyed during Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s visit to China. According to the sources, Tehran responded by maintaining that regional peace and stability depend entirely on ending the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Chinese officials did not issue explicit threats or signal any intent to exert economic pressure on Tehran if it fails to curb the Houthi attacks, the Iranian sources said. Responding to a Reuters request 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, adding that escalating instability serves no party’s interests.
“The sovereignty and security of all countries should be respected, and facilities vital to people’s livelihoods must not be targeted,” the Chinese foreign ministry said, calling for an end to actions that complicate the situation and urging resolution through dialogue and negotiation. Neither Iran’s Foreign Ministry nor the Saudi government’s media office immediately responded to requests for comment.
Energy Stakes and Maritime Security in the Red Sea
China has served as Iran’s largest trading partner for more than a decade and remains the primary destination for its oil. According to commodities data and analytics firm Kpler, Chinese purchases accounted for over 80% of Iran’s seaboard oil exports in 2025, averaging roughly 1.4 million barrels per day. A senior Western diplomat in the region noted that Beijing stands as one of the few capitals retaining leverage to press Tehran regarding the Houthis.
The Houthis emerged in Yemen during the 1990s in opposition to Saudi Arabia’s religious influence and currently form part of Iran’s anti-Western and anti-Israel network known as the Axis of Resistance, backed by Iranian arms, training, and funding. With the Strait of Hormuz already effectively shut down, sustained Houthi attacks on commercial vessels or ports in the Red Sea threaten to disrupt the Middle East’s two primary oil-export routes simultaneously.
Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, pointed out that while Beijing may oppose US pressure on Tehran, its broader Middle Eastern interests extend significantly beyond Iran. Roughly half of China’s oil imports originate from the region, and trade between China and Gulf Cooperation Council states totals approximately $300 billion annually. Vatanka observed that while Iran can disrupt Hormuz, that leverage ultimately begins to undermine the very power Tehran increasingly depends upon.