RAF Typhoon fighters are to be used in efforts to protect Saudi Arabia from attack by Yemen’s Houthis, flying defensive missions over the country’s cities and critical infrastructure as western allies increase their intervention in the escalating conflict.
The operation – the most significant military mission signed off by Andy Burnham as prime minister – will involve RAF pilots attempting to shoot down Houthi missiles and drones, which have been used in attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities.
The Ministry of Defence emphasised that the role of the fighters – whose number was not stated – would be limited. “These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis,” it said.
Military advisers and an Atlas A400M transport aircraft, capable of transporting heavy equipment, would also be provided, in addition to an existing commitment to supply air-to-air refuelling for Saudi fighter jets with an RAF Voyager. The refuelling mission has been extended by 90 days.
An offensive by the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen that began in September has gradually escalated into a deadly regional conflict, with the Houthis attacking Saudi Arabia, the backer of Yemen’s officially recognised government.
Thirteen people were killed when a missile hit King Khalid international airport in Riyadh this month, the deadliest incident so far in a war that has claimed 19 lives in Saudi Arabia.
The UK has long been a military ally of Saudi Arabia, with BAE Systems supplying 72 Typhoons in a deal originally worth £4.4bn. Riyadh has also been considering buying another 48 in a negotiation that has dragged on for years.
Though the UK only had a limited involvement in the US-Israel war against Iran, Typhoons from the RAF airbase in Akrotiri, Cyprus, and in Qatar, flew defensive missions in the spring and summer to shoot down missiles and drones launched by Iran and other proxies against Gulf states.
Britain’s announcement came a few days after the defence secretary, Wes Streeting, visited his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, at the Pentagon, where they discussed how to respond to the Houthi escalation.
Amid some concern that the UK risks being seen as closely aligned to the unpopular US war on Iran, the military intervention was partly justified because instability in the Middle East was driving up energy prices and affecting the cost of living.
Streeting said: “The continuing attacks from the Houthis on our ally Saudi Arabia are absolutely despicable. The targeting of the airport in Riyadh in particular shows the lengths the Houthis are going to to escalate the situation in the region.
“That’s why today I have approved further UK military support. RAF Typhoons will fly defensive air missions to help protect Saudi airspace from drones and missiles. This builds on the UK equipment and personnel we already have in the country to defend against Houthi air attacks.”
