Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missiles as regional powers discuss security pact

Saudi Arabian air defences intercepted four Houthi drones and three ballistic missiles targeting the Kingdom’s southern and eastern regions on Tuesday, 27 October. Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, confirmed that the projectiles were destroyed before reaching their intended targets. Regional Security Negotiations in Tehran The military escalation coincided with high-level diplomatic talks in Tehran involving representatives from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. The meeting, described by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei as a "first" under the Mecca defence pact framework, focused on establishing an endogenous regional security structure. Rezaei stated that the four nations agreed that security must be achieved locally to prevent foreign intervention. Simultaneously, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, speaking at Cambridge University on Tuesday, called for a formal non-aggression pact between the six GCC states, Iraq, and Iran. Albusaidi argued that reliance on external powers has lasted too long and that any regional security framework excluding Tehran would be inherently unstable. Iran Sets Conditions for Washington In a direct message to the United States, Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy for foreign policy at Iran’s National Security Council, announced seven mandatory conditions that Washington must fulfill before Tehran considers new negotiations. Kani warned that Iran would not accept a temporary deal…