LONDON — The United Kingdom has agreed to provide limited military support to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces renewed attacks from Iran-backed Houthi forces operating in Yemen.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain would provide defensive air-to-air refuelling support to Saudi aircraft responding to Houthi missile and drone attacks.
The support is expected to begin within days and will initially involve a Royal Air Force Voyager tanker aircraft operating from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
Burnham said the decision followed a formal request from Saudi Arabia for military assistance. He said he approved the request following advice from Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.
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British officials described the deployment as time-limited, with the initial commitment expected to last several weeks.
The RAF Voyager will not itself be carrying out strikes. Instead, its role will be to refuel Saudi fighter aircraft in the air, enabling them to remain airborne for longer while responding to incoming missiles and drones.
The decision comes amid a renewed escalation in Yemen and the wider Red Sea region. The UK government has condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting civilian and energy infrastructure. British officials have also warned that the attacks threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
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Burnham said protecting regional trade routes was also important to Britain’s economic interests, particularly amid concerns about the impact of instability on global energy supplies and the cost of living.
“Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attacks and is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways open,” the prime minister said.
The Red Sea is a major international shipping corridor linking the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Disruption to the route can affect global trade, energy supplies and transportation costs.
The UK has previously carried out military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen. In April 2025, British Typhoon fighter jets, supported by an RAF Voyager tanker, participated in a joint operation against a Houthi military facility in Yemen.
The latest deployment comes as the British government continues to monitor the escalating security situation in Yemen and the surrounding region.
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The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office currently advises British nationals against all travel to Yemen and warns of the possibility of further military escalation involving the Houthis, Saudi Arabia and the wider Red Sea region.
The government has stressed that the new military assistance to Saudi Arabia is defensive and time-limited.
