LONDON (Reuters) — The United Kingdom will deploy Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to conduct defensive air missions over Saudi Arabia, aiming to protect cities and critical national infrastructure from escalating Houthi aerial attacks, the Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday.
The ministry emphasized that the deployment is strictly defensive, with the aircraft tasked to safeguard Saudi airspace from drones and missiles. The UK will not conduct offensive strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis, whose attacks pose a significant threat to regional stability, energy supplies, and key trade routes.
“The continuing attacks from the Houthis on our ally Saudi Arabia are absolutely despicable,” Defence Minister Wes Streeting said in a statement. “The targeting of the airport in Riyadh in particular shows the lengths the Houthis are going to escalate the situation in the region. That is why I have approved further UK military support. RAF Typhoons will fly defensive air missions to help protect Saudi airspace.”
This additional military support comes at the request of the Saudi Arabian government, following discussions in which Prime Minister Andy Burnham indicated earlier this month that Britain was prepared to consider such assistance.
In addition to the fighter jets, the UK will deploy an Atlas A400M transport aircraft and military advisers. This expands upon the assistance announced in September, which included an RAF Voyager air-to-air refueling aircraft but fell short of deploying fighter jets.
The escalation in Houthi attacks against Saudi oil facilities and other critical infrastructure has intensified in recent weeks as the conflict in Yemen continues to deepen. Meanwhile, inside Yemen, authorities reported that a Houthi strike on a training camp for Saudi-backed government security forces on Monday resulted in at least 58 casualties.