The UK will deploy RAF Typhoon jets to defend Saudi Arabia in response to escalating Houthi missile and drone attacks, the defence secretary has said.
The defensive mission will help protect Saudi cities and infrastructure from aerial attacks by the Iran-backed group, Wes Streeting said in a written statement released on Tuesday.
The move follows Houthi drone and ballistic missile attacks on the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as well as on energy sites on the country’s coast.
“These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis,” the statement said.
Additional UK support
The UK will also deploy military advisers and an RAF A400M transport aircraft.
It is already providing Saudi Arabia with defence support equipment to protect against aerial attacks, as well as air-to-air refuelling for defensive Saudi operations. The refuelling has now been extended by 90 days.
In a separate statement, Streeting said the targeting of Riyadh airport “shows the lengths the Houthis are going to escalate the situation in the region”.
“That’s why today I have approved further UK military support,” the defence secretary added.
Background
The Houthis have been launching missiles and drones at airports, oil and gas facilities, and military bases in Saudi Arabia. They say the attacks are retaliation for strikes on territory they control in western Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.
The Houthis are locked in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.
