PAKISTAN READER

YEMEN

Houthis claim missile strike on Saudi oil refinery; China prepares envoy to ease regional tensions

On 27 October, Reuters reported that Houthis claimed responsibility for launching a ballistic missile attack that struck Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura oil refinery in the Eastern Province, triggering massive fires. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two ballistic missiles, each aimed at Riyadh, and gave early-warning alerts in several governorates. The escalation comes after a series of tensions had developed in the region, and the Houthis also claim they blocked the advance of government forces near Bab al-Mandeb in Taiz district during heavy airstrikes. While regional talks involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan’s officials have recently sought to de-escalate hostilities, ongoing clashes continue to threaten global energy security, prompting Beijing to express grave concern over the conflict's transmission into the Red Sea and Horn of Africa regions. On its own, China said it will soon dispatch a special envoy to meet the countries concerned to help defuse regional tensions.

(“China to send envoy to Middle East in near future amid conflict spillover,” Reuters, 27 October 2026; “Iran war live: Putin hosting Moscow talks with Qatar’s emir, Iran president,” Al Jazeera, 27 October 2026)