ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - China on Thursday urged Iran and the United States to uphold the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and return to war-end talks, and warned of the implications of the recent escalation in the Red Sea between the Tehran-backed Ansarullah movement, widely known as the Houthis, and the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government (IRG) in Aden.
"The continued prolongation of hostilities between the US and Iran serves neither the interests of the parties involved nor those of the international community," the Chinese foreign ministry told Rudaw's Mahdi Faraj.
"We encourage both Iran and the US to exercise rationality and restraint, return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding as soon as possible, rebuild the negotiation mechanism based on the consensus reached thus far, and engage in substantive consultations on issues of mutual concern," the ministry added.
Beijing also reiterated its readiness to "play a constructive role in resolving international disputes."
The remarks come amid persistent tensions between Tehran and Washington in regional waters, particularly near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies pass. The waterway has been a flashpoint since the Iran war erupted in late February, when the US and Israel launched a joint air campaign that struck thousands of targets across the country over six weeks.
Tehran responded with drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting what it said were US assets in Gulf Arab states and launching retaliatory strikes on Israel.
The warring sides reached a preliminary ceasefire in early April, followed in mid-June by the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which established a truce and opened a 60-day window to negotiate a final agreement.
Despite the MoU, both sides have traded repeated rounds of strikes. In Hormuz, a US naval blockade of Iranian ports has remained in effect since mid-July, while Iran continues to claim sovereignty over the waterway and requires commercial vessels to obtain its authorization for passage.
Importantly, the Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday also addressed the recent flare-up in the Red Sea and another key chokepoint, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.
"China does not wish to see regional tensions spill over further into Yemen and the Red Sea," the ministry told Rudaw, stressing that "intensified regional instability is not in the interest of any party; the sovereignty and security of all nations must be respected, and facilities vital to people's livelihoods should not be targeted."
Beijing called for "an end to actions that further complicate the situation" and urged "the resolution of issues through dialogue and negotiation."
A day earlier, the Houthis claimed to have downed a Saudi fighter jet, saying that "Saudi warplanes carried out more than 450 airstrikes using F-15 and Typhoon aircraft that took off from the Khamis Mushait and al-Taif bases [in Saudi Arabia], targeting the provinces of Taiz, Lahj, al-Jawf, Hajjah, Marib, Sa'ada and al-Bayda [in Yemen]." The group said the strikes caused civilian casualties.
The Houthis further alleged that they had "succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F-15 warplane while it was carrying out hostile acts" over Marib, "using a locally made surface-to-air missile,” while also denying targeting Mecca, Islam's holiest city, dismissing the accusation as "fabrications."
Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition backing the Aden-based IRG, said Saudi air defenses "intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone launched by the Houthi terrorist militia before it entered the prohibited airspace of the Holy City of Mecca." He said the attempted attack took place at 6:50 pm local time on Tuesday and that "the drone was intercepted south of the city."
The security of Islam's holy sites and the safety of pilgrims is "a red line," Malki warned, adding that "the Coalition Joint Forces Command will not hesitate to take all necessary and deterrent measures against the Houthi terrorist militia and its hostile and terrorist conduct."
The developments come as the Saudi-led coalition, the IRG and affiliated forces and the Houthis have been locked in a new round of escalation since mid-July, when the Aden-based government disabled the runway at Houthi-controlled Sana’a International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.
In response, the Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones at Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia and announced a blockade on Saudi shipping through the Red Sea, framing it as a “siege for siege” - a reference to what they describe as a Saudi blockade on their ports, an accusation Riyadh has categorically denied.
As of late, the Houthis swept down Yemen's western coastline, capturing the strategic Hodeidah districts of Hays and al-Khawkhah before seizing the vital Red Sea port city of Mokha, forcing government and allied forces to withdraw southward.
The Iran-backed group then pushed into Dhubab and captured Perim Island (Mayun Island) in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, consolidating their leverage over international shipping lanes critical to Saudi Arabia's oil exports.
On Monday, the Houthis also deployed to the Hanish Islands further north, while heavy multi-front ground battles and drone and missile exchanges continued around Taiz and southern Saudi Arabia.
The rapid advances have triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, displacing tens of thousands of civilians, while internationally recognized government forces have launched limited counter-attacks in western Taiz in a bid to reclaim lost ground.
The ongoing escalation marks the first of its kind since an informal truce between the two sides took hold in 2022.
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