Red Sea shipping crisis: US asks China to urge Iran to curb attacks by Houthis

The United States has reportedly urged China to use its influence to encourage Tehran to restrain the Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels responsible for attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. Over the past three months, the US has consistently raised the matter with high-ranking Chinese officials. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer discussed the issue in meetings held this month in Washington with Liu Jianchao, the head of the International Liaison Department of China’s Communist Party, according to the report. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart, the report said, adding U.S. officials believe there was little evidence that China had put any pressure on Iran to restrain the Houthis beyond a mild statement Beijing issued last week. Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. military carried out strikes in Yemen, destroying two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed at the Red Sea and were preparing to launch. On Monday, U.S. and British forces carried out a round of strikes in Yemen, targeting a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities used by the Iran-aligned group against Red Sea shipping. The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East. With inputs from agencies.