China secretly contacted Tehran asking for help in restraining the Houthis in Yemen, after Saudi Arabia approached Beijing following the military attack carried out by the organization last week. This was reported by three Iranian sources involved in the matter to Reuters news agency. According to the sources, Riyadh turned to China for assistance after the Houthis made rapid advances along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait – moves that left Saudi oil exports and maritime traffic more exposed to risks. China publicly called for restraint, but the message it conveyed in secret was more forceful than the public statements, the sources noted.