China Urges Restraint Amid Yemen, Red Sea Escalation

China has urged Iran and the United States to exercise restraint, revive negotiations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that regional tensions could spread into Yemen and the Red Sea. At the United Nations, China similarly called on all sides in Yemen to halt fighting, protect civilians and commercial shipping, and return to diplomatic negotiations as violence threatens key routes through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Beijing also condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure, as well as attacks on civilian vessels, after Saudi authorities reported 73 civilians injured in recent strikes. The statements come amid claims by the Houthis of extensive Saudi airstrikes and reciprocal attacks on Saudi military sites and energy infrastructure, developments that threaten to end a relative lull in Yemen's conflict. China said Gulf states should play a larger mediation role and argued that the region's security architecture needs strengthening, while Washington and Beijing are expected to discuss Iran and related financial ties at a forthcoming meeting between current President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping.