Speaking to reporters aboard a flight to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Burnham linked the decision to cost-of-living pressures and the need to protect Britain’s interests and those of the wider region.
“I go back to the point I made about cost-of-living pressures and acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region,” he said.
“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.”
Shipping routes through the Red Sea form a vital artery of the global economy.
The Houthis have recently taken control of the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island, a gateway to the Red Sea and an important route for Saudi Arabia.
In a BBC interview last week, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte suggested that European support for Saudi Arabia was likely.
He said: “I would not be surprised if some phone calls were taking place between European allies, ‘hey, how are we going to deal with this?’
“Let’s see what happens, and if Nato can help, we will always be helpful.”
Energy Minister Martin McCluskey told MPs last week that the UK was “providing air defence support” to Saudi Arabia through their defence partnership, but declined to specify any operational military activity.
In January 2024, the UK joined the US in launching air strikes against Houthi targets across Yemen.
Then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK had “acted in self-defence” after the Houthis targeted ships, including a Royal Navy warship.
He said the strikes were “necessary, proportionate, and targeted” to protect lives and commercial shipping.
Further joint air strikes from the UK and US followed in 2024, external.
