UK to Provide RAF Refueling Support to Saudi Arabia Against Houthi Attacks
Britain will deploy RAF Voyager aircraft to refuel Saudi planes on defensive missions for a few weeks, as Houthi attacks threaten oil routes.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday that Britain has agreed to provide limited military support to Saudi Arabia to counter attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Speaking to reporters aboard his flight to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Burnham said the Royal Air Force will provide air-to-air refueling for Saudi planes. The arrangement is set to last a matter of weeks but will be kept under review.
The conflict between the Houthis and Yemen's Saudi-backed government has reignited, with the rebels launching missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia, including one aimed at Riyadh on Saturday that was intercepted. The Houthis have also declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, attacking Saudi-linked vessels and oil facilities inside the kingdom, the world's top oil exporter.
Earlier this month, the Houthis advanced inside Yemen, seizing the crucial port city of Mokha and key Red Sea islands, which allows them to better monitor shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb, a route through which about 12% of world trade normally passes.
Burnham said he was "acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region, because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attack, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways (for oil) open." Britain has condemned the Houthi attacks and stated it will "work with partners to support regional stability, protect civilians and support humanitarian access." U.K. officials had previously declined to comment on operational matters but noted a close defense partnership with Saudi Arabia.
The United States, which bombed the Houthis under the Biden and Trump administrations, has shown no interest in getting involved militarily this time. U.K. officials say the agreement will start in the coming days and involve one RAF Voyager refueling Saudi planes on "defensive" missions. Last week, it was reported that Saudi Arabia has asked its allies, including France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt, to deploy air-defense support to the region to help defend against missiles and drones fired by Houthis and other Iran-backed groups.