00:18Saudi Arabia has turned to China for help as the Houthi advance along Yemen's Red Sea coast
00:25threatens vital shipping and energy routes. According to an exclusive Reuters report,
00:32Riyadh appealed to Beijing after the Houthis made rapid military gains around the Red Sea
00:38and the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and China responded with a private diplomatic message to Iran.
00:45Three Iranian sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters that Beijing asked Tehran to use its
00:53influence to help rein in the Houthis and prevent the conflict from spreading further.
00:58The concern goes far beyond Yemen. The Bab el-Mandeb is a critical maritime choke point
01:04connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Any prolonged disruption could put Saudi oil exports
01:11and international shipping under even greater pressure. For China, the stakes are particularly
01:17high. Beijing depends heavily on energy flows from the Middle East and has deep economic ties with
01:24both Saudi Arabia and Iran. China has publicly called for restraint, dialogue, and the restoration of safe
01:32navigation. But Reuters reports that its private message to Tehran went further, urging Iran to
01:39help rein in the Houthis and prevent the conflict from spreading across vital energy routes. Still,
01:46there was no reported Chinese threat against Iran. The Iranian sources said Beijing did not threaten
01:53economic pressure or announce any specific consequences if Tehran failed to act. And Iran's
02:00response was pointed. Tehran said regional stability depends on ending what it describes as the U.S.-Israeli
02:07war on Iran. Whether Iran will actually move to restrain the Houthis remains unclear. The diplomatic
02:15pressure comes after a rapid Houthi offensive in Yemen. The group has advanced along the Red Sea coast
02:21and seized strategically important positions near the Bab el-Mandeb, putting additional pressure on
02:28Saudi Arabia. Reuters has reported that the advances have left Saudi oil exports and shipping more exposed.
02:35For Beijing, this creates a difficult balancing act. China has strong economic relations with Iran,
02:43while also maintaining major trade and energy ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. China also
02:50brokered the restoration of Saudi-Iran diplomatic relations in 2023. Now, China is trying to prevent a
02:58conflict from threatening the very trade routes and energy supplies it relies on. But there is no guarantee
03:04Tehran will act. The Houthis maintain their own political and military decision-making, even though Iran
03:11is widely described as providing them with support. And the outcome of China's private appeal remains uncertain.
03:19For now, one thing is clear. Saudi Arabia has sought Beijing's help. China has pressed Iran to restrain the Houthis.
03:28And the battle for Yemen's Red Sea coast is becoming a much bigger diplomatic crisis, with the Bab el-Mandeb
03:35at the center of it.
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