Houthis strike Saudi refinery as Turkey advances three-nation defence pact

Diplomatic efforts in Tehran failed to halt Houthi hostilities on Tuesday, 27 October, as the Yemeni militia launched a ballistic missile at Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery while Turkey moved to ratify a three-nation mutual defence pact. Refinery targeted and missiles intercepted Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed on X that the group targeted the Ras Tanura refinery in the Eastern Province, alleging the strike caused "massive fires." The Saudi-led coalition confirmed it intercepted three missiles directed at the Eastern Province and two additional ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh. Maritime security agency Vanguard reported a fire in the Ras Tanura area but confirmed it was contained; the impact on oil operations remains under assessment. Turkey advances three-nation defence pact In Ankara, a Turkish parliamentary committee approved the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on Tuesday, 27 October. The pact, involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, includes 16 articles mandating that an armed attack against one member be treated as an attack against all three. The agreement covers joint weapons production, intelligence sharing, and technology transfers, pending a final vote by the full Turkish parliament. Tehran talks fail to secure ceasefire The escalation occurred hours after Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.…