Britain Sends Fighter Jets to Defend Saudi Arabia
Britain will fly RAF Typhoon fighter jets over Saudi Arabia to shoot down Houthi missiles and drones aimed at its cities and oil sites, after a missile strike on Riyadh's airport killed 13 people. The jets will not strike the Houthis in Yemen. Britain is also sending a transport plane and advisers and extending its refueling support by 90 days.
The Typhoons are for defense only: the government says they will not carry out offensive strikes against Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.
The Ministry of Defence said Britain will also provide an RAF A400M transport plane to move military equipment within Saudi Arabia and send military advisers to work with Saudi staff officers. Its existing refueling support for Saudi air operations, including strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen, is being extended by 90 days. The number of jets was not given.
The Houthis began an offensive in September that has spread into Saudi Arabia. Thirteen people were killed when a missile hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the deadliest attack in a conflict that has killed 19 people in Saudi Arabia, according to The Guardian.
Defense Secretary Wes Streeting called the attacks "absolutely despicable." The government said fighting in the Gulf is pushing up living costs and disrupting energy supplies at home. It is the most significant military mission approved by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
London — Britain will fly Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets over Saudi Arabia to help shoot down missiles and drones fired by Yemen's Houthis at Saudi cities and critical infrastructure, the Ministry of Defence said.
"These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis," the ministry said. The number of jets was not disclosed.
What Britain is sending
Besides the Typhoon patrols, Britain will provide an RAF A400M transport plane to move military equipment within Saudi Arabia, along with British military advisers to support Saudi staff officers. It is extending by 90 days its air-to-air refueling support for Saudi air operations, which include strikes to degrade Houthi military targets in Yemen. The new support adds to British air-defense equipment and personnel already in the country.
"The continuing attacks from the Houthis on our ally Saudi Arabia are absolutely despicable," Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said. "The targeting of the airport in Riyadh in particular shows the lengths the Houthis are going to escalate the situation in the region." The Guardian reported that the operation is the most significant military mission Andy Burnham has approved as prime minister.
The fighting
The Iran-aligned Houthis began an offensive in Yemen in September that has grown into a regional conflict, and this month they have attacked Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's recognized government. Thirteen people were killed when a missile hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the deadliest single attack in a war that has killed 19 people in Saudi Arabia, according to The Guardian. Houthi missiles and drones have also targeted Saudi oil facilities.
The government tied the mission to costs at home. "Escalating violence in the Gulf can have a serious impact at home in the UK - driving up the cost of living, disrupting energy supplies and costs to British businesses," it said.
Where Washington stands
The announcement came days after Streeting met Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, where they discussed the Houthi escalation. The United States has stepped up intelligence support and sent more than 100 military advisers to help the Saudis with targeting, but has been cautious about more direct military help, The Guardian reported.
H.A. Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute asked how narrow the role would stay: "The UK might say it was defensive but the Houthis would see it as offensive."