UK to Provide Mid Air Refueling Support for Saudi Jets Against Houthi Attacks
Photo: Collected
The United Kingdom has agreed to provide limited military assistance to Saudi Arabia to help counter attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi armed group, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Monday.
Speaking to journalists en route to New York City to attend the United Nations General Assembly session, Prime Minister Burnham stated that Riyadh had formally requested military backing. Following consultations with the defense and foreign secretaries, the request was approved late Sunday night.
As part of the support package, the British Royal Air Force will provide mid-air refueling to Saudi warplanes engaged in operations against the Houthi group, Burnham said. He emphasized that the assistance will be provided for a limited period and strictly for defensive purposes, with the British government keeping the arrangement under continuous review.
The development comes amid an intensification of conflict in recent weeks between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, prompting the Houthi movement to launch a series of missiles and drones targeting Saudi territory. The group claimed responsibility for a missile strike near the international airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, last Saturday, though Saudi authorities reported intercepting and destroying the projectile beforehand.
On the ground in Yemen, Houthi forces have made significant territorial advances, capturing the vital port city of Mokha and several islands in the Red Sea. These gains have strengthened the group's surveillance capabilities over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, with the Houthis threatening to close the crucial waterway. Normally, approximately 12 percent of global trade passes through the strait.
Prime Minister Burnham noted that the United Kingdom decided to assist Saudi Arabia to protect broader regional interests, citing that the kingdom is under attack and facing potential future instability. He stressed the necessity of keeping oil supply routes open.
The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia share a long-standing history as close military allies, with London serving as one of the major arms suppliers to Riyadh. Earlier this year, the United Kingdom deployed its Sky Sabre air defense system to Saudi Arabia to protect the kingdom from potential Iranian missiles amid regional tensions involving Tehran, the United States, and Israel.
