China urges restraint as Houthis target Saudi tankers in Red Sea
11:12, 24/07/2026, FridayU: Update: 11:22, 24/07/2026, Friday
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File photoChina's Foreign Ministry on Friday urged all parties to exercise restraint in the Red Sea as Yemen's Houthi group imposed an embargo on Saudi shipping and launched missile strikes against two oil tankers, calling for dialogue to prevent further escalation in the Gulf region.
China's Foreign Ministry on Friday urged restraint in the Red Sea as Yemen's Houthi group imposed a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia and claimed responsibility for missile attacks on two oil tankers, warning against actions that threaten international shipping lanes. "China is closely following the situation in the Red Sea; we believe it is important to respect the sovereignty and security of all regional countries and ensure that the international shipping lane is open and safe and should be safeguarded by all," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing. He added that Beijing calls on relevant parties to exercise restraint and resolve disputes through dialogue to prevent further destabilization of the Gulf region.
Lin was responding to questions regarding the Houthi embargo on Saudi shipping and strikes against the vessels
Encelia
and Layla
in Red Sea maritime routes. "China calls on relevant parties to exercise restraint, keep the dialogue and consultation going for properly handling the disputes and disagreements, avoid escalating confrontation and work for restoring peace and stability to the Gulf region at an early date," he said, emphasizing Beijing's commitment to regional stability.Houthis claim strikes on Saudi tankers
The Iran-aligned Houthi group announced early Thursday that its forces had targeted two Saudi oil tankers with ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones. The operation struck the vessels
Encelia
and Layla
for allegedly violating the group's maritime blockade, with Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claiming the attacks scored direct hits on both targets.Years of calm broken
The missile strikes mark the first major Houthi attacks against Saudi targets in years, breaking a period of relative calm that had held since Riyadh and Tehran normalized relations in 2023. The escalation follows last Sunday's incident in which Yemen's internationally recognized government prevented an Iranian aircraft from completing its flight to Sanaa International Airport — which remains under Houthi control. The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of orchestrating the airport interception and launched missile strikes against the kingdom before targeting the oil tankers on Thursday.
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