Britain is deploying an RAF Voyager tanker to support Saudi Arabia as an Iranian-backed Houthi offensive threatens to destabilise a critical Red Sea shipping corridor and further disrupt global energy supplies.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK had accepted a request from Riyadh for “defensive air-to-air refuelling” of Saudi aircraft. The mission is expected to begin within days and will be time-limited, with the arrangement likely to last several weeks and subject to review.
The decision marks a significant new British military commitment as the conflict in Yemen becomes increasingly entangled with the wider Middle East crisis. The Houthis have rapidly expanded their territorial control in Yemen, including seizing the strategic Red Sea port of Mocha and positions around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to recent reporting.
The narrow waterway, linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is a major artery for international trade and shipping travelling towards the Suez Canal. The latest Houthi gains have raised concerns that the group could exert greater control over traffic passing through the maritime chokepoint, while attacks on Saudi Arabia threaten the kingdom’s energy infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia has responded with air strikes against Houthi positions after the group intensified missile and drone attacks. Riyadh has also sought military assistance from international partners as the conflict threatens to spread beyond Yemen.
Burnham said the decision followed advice from Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.
“We have received a request from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for military support, and on the advice of the defence secretary and the foreign secretary, last night I agreed to that request for defensive air-to-air refuelling,” he said.
The British support is intended to enable Saudi aircraft to conduct defensive missions against incoming missiles and drones rather than assist offensive strikes against Houthi positions. The deployment comes alongside the UK’s existing Sky Sabre air-defence system in Saudi Arabia.
Burnham said he was “acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region”.
He added: “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”.
The move comes as Britain faces renewed concerns over the economic consequences of instability across the region. Disruption around the Bab al-Mandab could add to shipping and energy costs at a time when the Strait of Hormuz is already severely disrupted.
The UK has previously conducted operations against Houthi targets and provided air-to-air refuelling for British strike missions, underscoring the strategic importance of tanker aircraft to operations across the region.
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