 U.S. called on China to help stop Houthi attacks on ships in Red Sea. The United States has called on China to persuade Iran to influence the Houthi rebels who periodically attack commercial ships in the Red Sea, according to Reuters. According to sources, the White House has not seen any signs of assistance from Beijing. It is noted that over the past three months, the United States has repeatedly raised this issue with senior Chinese officials. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his deputy John Feiner discussed this matter in meetings in Washington with Yang Jai Qi. The head of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also raised this issue with his Chinese counterpart. U.S. officials believe that there is little evidence that China has exerted any pressure on Iran to restrain the Houthi rebels apart from a mild statement made by Beijing last week. Two months of missile, drone and hijacking attacks against civilian ships in the Red Sea have caused the biggest diversion of international trade in decades, pushing up costs for shippers as far away as Asia and North America. The disruption is spreading, fuelling fears of broader economic fallout. Repeated rounds of retaliatory strikes by the U.S. and its allies, as well as a multinational naval operation to patrol the waters, haven't stopped the assaults by the Houthi militants that followed the start of the Israel-Hamas War.