China has privately urged Tehran to help rein in Yemen’s Houthis following an appeal by Saudi Arabia, according to three Iranian sources familiar with the discussions. The diplomatic intervention comes after the Iran-backed group launched a military blitz along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening regional shipping lanes and energy exports.
Saudi Appeal Triggers Beijing’s Private Push
Riyadh turned to Beijing for assistance after Houthi forces made rapid advances along vital maritime chokepoints, leaving Saudi oil exports and international cargo vessels increasingly exposed, according to Iranian sources cited by Reuters. While China has publicly called for restraint, dialogue, and the restoration of safe navigation, its private message to Tehran went further. Beijing wants Iran to use its influence over the Houthis to prevent the conflict from spreading across critical energy routes.
The three Iranian sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide specific details on how Beijing delivered the message or whether it was conveyed during Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s visit to China. In response to the diplomatic push, Tehran maintained that regional stability and peace depend on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to the sources. Chinese officials did not issue explicit threats or indicate that Beijing would exert economic pressure on Iran if it failed to curb the Houthi attacks.
Geopolitical Stakes and Energy Vulnerabilities
China serves as Iran’s largest trading partner and remains the primary buyer of its oil. Analytics firm Kpler provided commodities data indicating that purchases by China made up upwards of 80% of Iran’s seaborne oil exports throughout 2025, reaching roughly 1.4 million barrels per day on average. Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, noted that while Beijing frequently opposes U.S. pressure on Tehran, its broader economic stakes in the Middle East extend far beyond Iran. Trade between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council states totals approximately $300 billion annually, with roughly half of China’s oil imports originating from the region.
A senior Western diplomat in the region told Reuters that Beijing remains one of the few capitals capable of pressing Iran on the matter. Iran arms, trains, and funds the Houthis—who first arose in the 1990s to counter Saudi Arabia’s Sunni religious footprint in Yemen—making them a central pillar of Tehran’s “Axis of Resistance.” Simultaneous Houthi campaigns in the Red Sea and disruptions across the Strait of Hormuz risk paralyzing the two principal oil-shipping corridors in the Middle East at once, thereby aggravating the international energy crisis.
Official Responses
The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement addressing the regional escalation, noting that Beijing opposes any spillover of tensions into Yemen and the Red Sea. “The sovereignty and security of all countries should be respected, and facilities vital to people’s livelihoods must not be targeted,” the ministry stated, urging all parties to resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation. Representatives for Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Saudi government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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