China Presses Iran to Restrain Houthis as Bab el-Mandeb Traffic Falls 58%
Beijing's direct intervention follows a Saudi appeal for help, exposing how much Chinese crude supply depends on a waterway now under Houthi threat.
China asked Iran on September 17 (2026-09-17) to use its influence over Yemen's Houthi forces to limit further attacks on Red Sea shipping, according to cryptobriefing.com, as Houthi military gains threatened Bab el-Mandeb shipping lanes and ICE Brent crude front-month, which had been near $104, slid to $99.48 per barrel as of Monday (2026-09-21).8
The numbers explain the urgency. China absorbed more than 80% of Iran's seaborne crude exports in 2025, averaging roughly 1.4 million barrels per day. Shipping traffic through Bab el-Mandeb has already dropped 58%, according to data cited by cryptobriefing.com. The strait handles about 7% of the world's energy trade. But Saudi Arabia has concentrated far more of its own export infrastructure there, routing roughly 70% of its energy shipments through the Red Sea port of Yanbu.8,2
Saudi crude departures from Yanbu surged to 4.7 million barrels per day after the ceasefire collapsed on July 13 (2026-07-13), up from 973,000 barrels per day during the same period in 2025 and above 4 million barrels per day since June (2026-06). That pace puts an enormous volume of barrels, including Saudi crude bound for Chinese refineries, on a corridor now under active threat.2
The escalation began on July 14 (2026-07-14), when Houthi forces fired ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia in the worst such attack in several years, according to Rigzone. Eight days later, on July 22 (2026-07-22), the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi vessels. An analyst at MarineTraffic said the "Bab el-Mandeb risk picture is deteriorating." Oil surged past $95 that day as U.S. officials publicly downplayed Iran diplomacy.1,4
Iran's role goes beyond tactical command. Oilprice.com reported in July (2026-07) that Tehran instructed the Houthis to stand ready to close Bab el-Mandeb entirely if Washington struck Iranian infrastructure. A source close to the Houthis confirmed drone and missile stockpiles positioned across highland sites overlooking Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden.2
Chinese tankers kept moving anyway. Two China-owned vessels carrying Saudi crude continued toward Bab el-Mandeb on Thursday (2026-07-23), ship-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg showed, pressing through despite overnight Houthi attacks on Saudi ships. Beijing may have calculated that its vessels held some implicit protection. That assumption appears shaky enough to have prompted September's direct call to Tehran.5
Saudi Arabia sought its own back channel. The kingdom held direct talks with Houthi representatives in a bid to contain the conflict, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Rigzone on August 5 (2026-08-05). Riyadh's motivation is direct: Yanbu disruptions hurt crude revenues and threaten the investor confidence underpinning the Vision 2030 economic program, which had already driven the kingdom to accept a ceasefire in 2022. Every barrel lost to disruption must find an alternative route at higher cost, or not move at all.6,3
Foreign Policy reported on September 10 (2026-09-10) that Houthi consolidation of a Red Sea port brings Tehran closer to claiming strategic influence over Bab el-Mandeb itself. That trajectory is what drove Beijing's call to Tehran — not concern for Saudi shipping alone, but the arithmetic of 1.4 million barrels per day of Iranian crude that relies on the same open waterways.7,8
ICE Brent front-month has pulled back to $99.48 as of Monday (2026-09-21). Whether China's diplomatic intervention changes Houthi behavior turns on Tehran's calculation: use proxy forces as deterrence against a U.S. strike on Iran, or restrain the Houthis to protect the crude flows its largest customer depends on. Saudi-Houthi back-channel talks, still underway as of early August (2026-08-05), have produced no confirmed arrangement. The drone and missile stockpiles overlooking Hodeidah are still in place.8,2,6