International News 27 October 2026
-
Houthis Claim Strikes on Saudi East-West Oil Pumping Station and Riyadh Airport as Fears of Wider Conflict Grow
Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthis said they attacked Saudi Arabia’s East-West crude oil pumping station and Riyadh’s airport, as escalating hostilities choke oil supplies and threaten to erupt into a larger conflict. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen had earlier said it destroyed two ballistic missile launchers in the capital Sanaa, including one used to fire a missile toward Riyadh, which the coalition said was intercepted. There has been no direct confirmation from Saudi Arabia of the Houthi attacks. The Houthis have fired ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi airports, ports, and oil facilities, making the US ally a pressure point in the wider war. On Monday (October 26, 2026), the group also said it had hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which resumed operations at two terminals on Sunday (October 25, 2026) after an attack claimed by the group earlier this month killed 13 people, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade. Senior officials from the Mecca Pact countries, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, were scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday to discuss regional coordination, according to two people familiar with the matter. The talks would be the first high-level contact between Iran and all members of the three-nation bloc since Saudi Arabia came under intensified attacks from the Iran-allied Houthis.
Mecca Pact Officials Due in Tehran for First High-Level Talks With Iran as Saudi Arabia Becomes a Flashpoint
Senior officials from the Mecca Pact countries, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, are scheduled to meet Iranian leaders in Tehran on Monday (October 26, 2026). It is the first high-level contact since Saudi Arabia became a pressure point in the wider conflict involving Iran. Saudi and Iranian officials said Saudi Arabia will be represented by Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan by Army Chief General Asim Munir, and Turkey by intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. The talks come as attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group, which is affiliated with Iran, have risen sharply in recent weeks. Meanwhile, rhetoric between the United States and Iran is growing more heated. The two countries are also reported to have drawn up plans to restart the broader conflict, possibly after the US midterm elections on November 3.
North Korea Writes to UN Security Council Over Border Mine Incident as Howitzer Spotted Near Frontier
Tensions between North and South Korea have risen again after Pyongyang sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council over a landmine incident on the border. The situation has also drawn attention after a North Korean howitzer was seen near the frontier between the two countries. Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday (October 25, 2026) that a 122-millimeter self-propelled howitzer was spotted near the North Korea-South Korea border. The appearance of the artillery is considered unusual, as such weapons are rarely displayed openly in the area. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University in Seoul, said it could be a signal that North Korea wants to assert its border policy through military force. “It is very unusual for North Korea to show its self-propelled artillery so conspicuously,” Lim said. He added that Pyongyang appears to want to send a message through actions rather than mere statements, and that the deployment could also serve as a warning for Seoul to be careful in handling border friction to avoid an accidental clash. Meanwhile, North Korea’s state media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported that Pyongyang’s representative at the UN sent a letter on Sunday.