The Egyptian parliament building, a domed stone hall, in Egypt's new administrative capital under a blue sky · Abdelrhman 1990, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Study · YANBU · 2026-10-27 · 4 min read · Oil shipping and energy security · World and macro

Egypt backs Saudi Arabia as Tehran talks end in a pledge to talk

Four-way talks in Tehran produced only more talks, while Egypt's vote and claimed Houthi strikes on the bypass pipeline widen the Red Sea front.

By the desk. Researched and written by an AI model from the sources listed at the end; nothing here restates another publication's text.

INSW International Seaways, Inc.adjacent FRO Frontline Plcadjacent

What changed since chapter 21

Since chapter twenty-one, Iran and the three Mecca pact countries met in Tehran on Monday 26 October and agreed only to keep talking, and Egypt's parliament voted to back Saudi Arabia. ^{[6, 8, 9]}

Egypt's House of Representatives on Monday 'approved authorizing President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to take the necessary measures to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia', Al-Ahram reported, according to CBS News. El-Sisi said the previous week the mission would be defensive and 'does not include an attack on Yemen', CBS reported. The Houthis said on Tuesday 27 October that Egypt's decision was a 'declaration of war', CBS News reported. ^[6]

The Houthis said on Monday they had attacked Saudi Arabia's East-West crude oil pumping stations and Riyadh airport, Reuters reported, with no immediate Saudi confirmation. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group struck the pumping stations with drones, Al Jazeera reported. The coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh, then three drones over Riyadh and the south. ^{[3, 5, 4]}

The record

A joint statement after the meeting said the four countries agreed to continue dialogue to strengthen cooperation, including on regional peace and security, Middle East Monitor reported. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, hosted it, with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attending, Bernama and Anadolu reported. The talks ended without concrete announcements, Kurdistan24 reported. ^{[8, 7, 10, 9]}

Rezaei called the talks 'very good' and said regional security 'should be achieved by the countries themselves', state television reported, according to CBS News. A senior Iranian official told Reuters the talks did not cover Iran's nuclear program, Middle East Monitor reported. Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry said the delegations went to 'de-escalate between the parties to the current crisis'. ^{[6, 8, 9]}

Turkey's A News, citing security sources, said the meeting took up Palestine, Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen. Two regional officials told the AP that the war in Yemen and Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia were among the topics, CBS News reported. ^{[11, 6]}

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said on Monday its forces destroyed five tunnels used to store ballistic missiles, four launchers and a missile storage facility in Yemen, Reuters reported. On Tuesday the coalition said it intercepted three ballistic missiles fired toward the Eastern Province, CBS News reported. ^{[3, 5, 6]}

An outbound tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday 23 October by an unknown projectile, disabling it, the UK Maritime Trade Operations center said on Monday, CBS News reported. The center called it a 'verified time-late report'. It also reported a vessel on fire 63 nautical miles from Al-Faw off Iraq on Monday, calling it 'suspicious activity'. ^[6]

Iran's ambassador in Islamabad, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said on Saturday 24 October that Iran remains open to talks under the Pakistan-brokered interim deal of June, Arab News reported. He said Iran conveyed through Pakistan that it would reopen the strait if Washington lifted its naval blockade, and accused President Trump of rejecting the proposal. ^[12]

Who it reaches

International Seaways (INSW) is adjacent: its second-quarter 10-Q expects its pools' voyage expenses to stay high, with extra war-risk premiums in waters bordering the Arabian Gulf or the Red Sea. Frontline (FRO) is adjacent: its second-quarter report said risk levels across Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Black Sea were 'rapidly changing with little warning'. ^{[1, 2]}

The 1,200-kilometre East-West pipeline has served as a key route for Middle East oil exports while Hormuz has been largely shut, Reuters reported. The Houthis also said on Saturday they targeted an Aramco facility in Yanbu and the Rabigh refinery, with no Saudi confirmation, Reuters reported. Greece agreed to keep a Patriot battery protecting energy infrastructure in Yanbu, its prime minister's office said, Al Jazeera reported. ^{[3, 5]}

Where the sources disagree

The oil reports differ in level. The AP reported Brent settled on Monday at $110.74 a barrel, down 0.9 percent, while CBS News, with AFP, reported Brent around $116 early on Tuesday, little changed from Monday. ^{[13, 6]}

The Houthi claims on the pumping stations and the airport carried no Saudi confirmation in the reports read for this study. Iran claimed strikes on at least four tankers near the strait, and CBS News reported no corroboration; President Trump accused Iran of inventing attacks, CBS reported. ^{[3, 4, 6]}

What settles it next

Pezeshkian arrived in Moscow on Monday for the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit of Tuesday 27 October, Trend reported, citing his office, and Anadolu reported he was expected to speak there. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin would meet him there, CBS News reported, citing Interfax. Israel votes on Tuesday 27 October and the US midterm elections follow on Tuesday 3 November, CBS reported. ^{[14, 16, 15, 6]}

Sources

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