Dubai: China has privately asked Iran to use its influence with Yemen’s Houthi movement to help restrain the group after Saudi Arabia appealed to Beijing for assistance, according to three Iranian sources familiar with the discussions.
The reported request comes as the Houthis make rapid military advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and around the Bab el Mandeb Strait, raising concerns about Saudi security, international shipping and energy supplies.
The Iranian sources said Saudi Arabia approached China after the Houthis expanded their military presence in strategically important areas near the Red Sea. Riyadh is concerned that further Houthi attacks could threaten shipping and Saudi oil exports at a time when the wider region is already facing severe disruption from the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
According to the sources, Beijing privately urged Tehran to use its influence with the Houthis to prevent further escalation around important energy and shipping routes. The sources said China did not threaten Iran with economic measures if Tehran failed to act.
Iran’s reported response was that regional peace and stability depended on ending the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. It remains unclear whether Tehran will take steps to restrain the Houthis or whether the group will change its military activities.
China has not publicly confirmed the reported private request. In its public statements, Beijing has called for restraint, dialogue and the protection of international waterways.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing on September 16. Wang urged Iran and the United States to exercise restraint and return to negotiations. He also called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the protection of international waterways and the stability of international energy transportation and supply chains.
Wang also said China did not want the regional conflict to spread further into Yemen and the Red Sea and called for disputes to be resolved through dialogue and negotiation.
It is unclear whether the reported Chinese request to Iran was discussed during Araghchi’s visit to Beijing. The Iranian sources did not disclose how the message was delivered.
The latest diplomatic activity comes as fighting in Yemen has intensified. The Houthis have made significant advances along the western coast and around the Bab el Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and an important route for international trade and energy shipments.
The Houthis have captured Mokha, a strategic port city on Yemen’s Red Sea coast about 75 kilometres from the Bab el Mandeb Strait. The development has increased concerns about the group’s position near one of the world’s important maritime routes.
Saudi Arabia has continued military operations against the Houthis and has sought assistance from several foreign governments as its air defence systems face increasing pressure. Saudi Arabia has sought support from France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt, although no public commitment of military assistance had been announced by those countries.
The confrontation has also caused new civilian casualties. Saudi civil defence officials said debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed one Yemeni national and injured a Saudi citizen and a Pakistani national in Taif province on September 17. The debris also damaged vehicles and buildings.
Saudi Arabia has accused the Houthis of carrying out attacks against cities and infrastructure inside the kingdom. Saudi authorities said earlier this month that Houthi attacks had injured 73 civilians in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran.
Another incident has drawn attention to Mecca. Saudi Arabia said on September 16 that it had intercepted a drone heading towards the holy city and accused the Houthis of attempting to target it. The Houthis denied that they had targeted Mecca.
The fighting is also creating a growing humanitarian crisis. More than 125,000 people, including about 57,000 children, have been displaced by the renewed fighting, according to figures from the United Nations and UNICEF.
The conflict is taking place as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is already severely disrupted. Only three commercial vessels crossed Hormuz on September 16, according to shipping data reported by Reuters. Traffic through the Bab el Mandeb Strait has also declined.
The two waterways are important for global energy and commercial trade. Any prolonged disruption could affect the movement of oil and other goods between the Middle East, Asia, Europe and other markets.
China has strong economic ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia. China has been Iran’s largest trading partner for more than a decade and is also its main buyer of Iranian oil. Chinese purchases accounted for more than 80 percent of Iran’s seaborne oil exports in 2025, averaging about 1.4 million barrels a day, according to commodities data.
China also helped broker an agreement in 2023 that restored diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran after years of hostility.
The latest developments place Beijing in a sensitive diplomatic position. Saudi Arabia wants greater pressure on the Houthis, while Iran is facing its own conflict and maintains close political and economic ties with China.
For China, keeping energy supplies and international shipping routes open is a major concern. For Saudi Arabia, the immediate issue is the growing Houthi threat near its territory and vital infrastructure.
It remains unclear whether Iran will act on Beijing’s reported request or whether the Houthis will change their military activities. There is also no public evidence of a formal agreement between China and Iran over the Houthis.