DUBAI: China has privately urged Tehran to use its influence to restrain Yemen’s Houthis following an appeal from Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing three Iranian sources familiar with the matter.
The request came after the Houthis made rapid advances along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, increasing risks to Saudi oil exports and international shipping, according to the sources.
While Beijing has publicly called for restraint, dialogue and the restoration of safe navigation, the Iranian sources said its private message to Tehran went further.
China is seeking to prevent the conflict from spreading across vital energy routes on which the country depends. The sources did not disclose how the message was delivered or whether it was discussed during Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s visit to China on Wednesday.
According to the sources, Tehran responded that regional stability and peace depended on ending what it described as the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The sources said Chinese officials did not threaten economic measures or indicate that Beijing would take punitive action against Tehran if it failed to use its influence over the Houthis.
In response to Reuters’ request for comment, China’s foreign ministry said Beijing did not want regional tensions to spill over into Yemen and the Red Sea, adding that escalating instability was not in the interests of any party.
China also called for respect for the sovereignty and security of all countries, an end to attacks on vital civilian facilities and the resolution of disputes through dialogue and negotiations.