‘The risk is escalating’: RAF Typhoons deployed as Saudi-backed forces launch new Houthi offensive

Britain is deploying RAF Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to help defend its cities and critical infrastructure against attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, marking a significant expansion of UK military support as fighting intensifies in Yemen.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the Typhoons would be accompanied by an Atlas A400M transport aircraft and military advisers.

The deployment follows an agreement in September to send an RAF Voyager refuelling aircraft to support Saudi defensive operations backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

Announcing the move in a written statement to Parliament, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the fighter jets would conduct “defensive counter-air operations over Saudi Arabia”, protecting civilian populations and essential infrastructure from Houthi attacks.

“These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis,” he said.

Streeting added that Britain “cannot allow international shipping to be threatened or held to ransom” by the rebels, whose attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait have placed growing pressure on regional security and global trade.

The deployment nevertheless brings British combat aircraft closer to a conflict that has rapidly escalated. RAF pilots could be required to counter incoming threats directly, although the government has stressed that their mission will remain defensive.

The decision follows a deadly Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport earlier this month, in which 12 people were killed and more than 300 injured, according to the supplied figures. The attack was described as the deadliest against a Gulf Arab country since the Iran war began.

The Red Sea route has become increasingly important to Saudi Arabia as disruption in the Strait of Hormuz complicates energy exports. Houthi advances along Yemen’s coastline have also strengthened the group’s position around the Bab al-Mandeb, a critical passage for international shipping.

The latest deployment comes as Saudi-backed Yemeni forces launch a renewed campaign against the Houthis, threatening to unravel the fragile truce that followed years of devastating conflict.

London says the military support is intended to protect regional stability and create conditions for diplomacy. But with attacks continuing and a wider regional war reshaping security calculations, the risk of further escalation remains acute.