UK to Provide Defensive Military Support to Saudi Arabia Amid Houthi Attacks
The UK will supply air-to-air refuelling support to Saudi Arabia in response to recent drone and missile attacks by Iran-backed Houthis.
The United Kingdom will provide "defensive air-to-air refuelling" support to Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced. This decision follows a request from Saudi Arabia after it faced escalating attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The support is expected to commence in the coming days, involving a single British Voyager aircraft based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Government officials stated the offer is "time-limited," likely to last for "weeks" initially. The UK's agreement to the request was made on the advice of Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.
The Houthis, engaged in a civil war with Yemen's internationally recognized government backed by Saudi Arabia, have recently claimed responsibility for drone and ballistic missile attacks on Riyadh and energy sites along the country's Red Sea coast. UK officials define defensive support as assistance that aids Saudi air force jets in intercepting incoming Houthi missiles and drones.
Burnham connected the decision to broader economic concerns, stating, "Because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attacks, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways open, and hence our agreement to the request." He emphasized the importance of maintaining open shipping routes through the Red Sea, a vital artery for the global economy, especially after the Houthis recently seized the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island.
This development follows previous military actions involving the UK and Saudi Arabia. In January 2024, the UK joined the United States in launching air strikes against Houthi targets across Yemen. At the time, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated the UK "acted in self-defence" after the Houthis targeted ships, including a Royal Navy warship, adding that the strikes were "necessary, proportionate, and targeted" to protect lives and commercial shipping. Further joint air strikes by the UK and US occurred later in 2024.