China asked Iran to help stop Houthi offensive – media

China has privately asked Iran to influence Yemen’s Houthis and help contain their advance, following a request from Saudi Arabia, which is concerned about the situation near important oil export routes.

Reuters reports this, citing three Iranian sources familiar with the negotiations.

Saudi Arabia turned to China after the Houthis began to advance rapidly along the Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, putting shipping and Saudi oil exports at greater risk.

Publicly, Beijing has called for restraint and negotiations, while behind closed doors, China has asked Tehran to use its influence on the Houthis to prevent the conflict from escalating further.

For Beijing, the situation is important because of the security of the energy routes through which China obtains oil and other resources.

According to Reuters, Iran responded by saying that peace and stability in the region depended on ending the US and Israeli war against Tehran.

At the same time, China did not threaten Iran with sanctions or other economic pressure if it refused to influence the Houthis.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Beijing does not want the fighting to spread to Yemen and the Red Sea. China also called on the parties to refrain from escalating the situation and resolve disputes through negotiations.