- China urged Iran to curb Houthi aggression after Saudi appeal.
- Houthi advances threaten vital energy routes, crucial for China.
- Iran linked regional stability to ending US-Israeli conflict.
- China, a major oil buyer, holds significant economic influence.
China has privately asked Iran to use its influence over Yemen’s Houthis to rein in the Iran-backed group after Saudi Arabia appealed to Beijing for help, according to Reuters quoting three Iranian sources familiar with the matter.
The request came after the Houthis made rapid advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over the past week, increasing the exposure of Saudi oil exports and shipping routes, the sources said.
While China has publicly called for restraint, dialogue and the restoration of safe navigation, its private message to Tehran went further, the sources said. Beijing wants Iran to use its influence over the Houthis to prevent the conflict from spreading further along energy routes that are crucial to China’s economy.
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China Seeks To Protect Key Energy Routes
The Iranian sources, who were briefed on the discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not say how Beijing delivered its message. They also could not confirm whether it was conveyed during Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s visit to China on Wednesday.
Tehran’s response, according to the sources, was that regional stability and peace depend on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran. The three sources said Chinese officials did not issue explicit threats or suggest that Beijing would impose economic pressure on Tehran if Iran failed to use its influence over the Houthis.
In response to a Reuters request for comment, China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing did not want regional tensions to spread further into Yemen and the Red Sea. It said escalating instability was not in the interests of any party and called for respect for the sovereignty and security of all countries.
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Iran-China Ties Add Weight To Beijing’s Appeal
China has been Iran’s largest trading partner for more than a decade and remains its main buyer of oil. Chinese purchases accounted for more than 80% of Iran’s seaborne oil exports in 2025, averaging about 1.4 million barrels per day, according to commodities data and analytics firm Kpler.
It remains unclear whether Tehran will act on Beijing’s concerns, the three Iranian sources said. The relationship, however, carries significant economic and strategic weight for Iran as it continues to face hostilities with the US.
China is also among the few countries with the financial capacity to provide the investment Tehran needs to sustain its oil industry and ease pressure on an economy battered by war and sanctions.
