WASHINGTON — The United States is seeking China's help in deterring attacks by Yemen’s Houthis that are targeting Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The Biden administration wants Beijing to exert pressure on Iran, the Houthis’ main backer, to clamp down on a spate of maritime attacks in the strategic waterway, according to a senior US government official who spoke to Al-Monitor on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic matter.
“The US wants to see from China some sort of conversation with the Iranians about the recklessness of the Houthi behavior,” the senior official said.
From their base in northern Yemen, the Houthi militant group has over the past two months launched a series of ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting ships, many of them with alleged Israeli links, in what they say is retaliation for Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip. On Monday, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the militants used naval drones to attack two more commercial vessels in the Red Sea that were "linked to the Zionist entity."
