BEIRUT/RIYADH – As the Iran war escalates again, Gulf Arab states are looking to China — not Washington — to use its economic leverage over Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, testing how far Beijing is able and willing to pressurize Tehran.

The Gulf push for a bigger Chinese role is driven by growing frustration, Gulf sources say. The war launched with U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28 has hurt their regional foe but also restricted their vital energy exports and, to varying degrees, put them in the firing line.

With Iran and its allies threatening the Bab el-Mandeb waterway in the Red Sea as well as Hormuz, Gulf states have sought Beijing’s help, conscious that the war has exposed the limits of American power, three regional sources say.