THE UK is set to provide Saudi Arabia with military support following a series of attacks by Houthi forces in Yemen, Andy Burnham has announced.
Britain will provide “defensive air-to-air refuelling” support after receiving a request for military assistance from Saudi Arabia.
The operation is expected to begin within days and involve a single RAF Voyager aircraft based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
Government officials have said the deployment will be “time limited” and is initially expected to last for a matter of weeks.
Burnham said he agreed to the Saudi request following advice from Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.
The move comes amid an escalation in Yemen, where the Houthis have launched drone and ballistic missile attacks against Saudi Arabia and made significant territorial gains.
The announcement marks the latest British military involvement in Yemen, with the UK having previously joined US strikes against Houthi targets and supplied arms and military support to the Saudi-led coalition during the decade-long conflict.
Britain’s role has faced scrutiny after a recent report documented hundreds of civilian casualties from US airstrikes on Yemen, including during operations involving UK forces.
The move has prompted criticism from the SNP, which accused the UK Government of sending the RAF to protect energy supplies in the Middle East while failing to protect North Sea jobs.
SNP energy spokesperson Graham Leadbitter MP said: “The folly of relying on foreign imports has been made abundantly clear.
“The carbon cost is greater, the volatility is substantial and the cost to Scottish jobs runs into the thousands.
“We are ruining renewables investment while putting our energy security at risk – it is not sustainable.”
The announcement marks the latest British military involvement in Yemen, with the UK having previously joined US strikes against Houthi targets and supplied arms and military support to the Saudi-led coalition during the decade-long conflict.
Britain’s role has faced renewed scrutiny after a recent report documented hundreds of civilian casualties from US airstrikes on Yemen, including during operations involving UK forces.
The UK told the UN Security Council last week that Houthi attacks had injured civilians in Saudi Arabia, damaged homes and disrupted commercial aviation, while accusing the group of seeking to consolidate control around the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The strait is one of the world's most important shipping routes, connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Burnham linked the decision to concerns about the impact further disruption in the region could have on the cost of living in the UK.
Speaking to reporters while travelling to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he said: “I go back to the point I made about cost-of-living pressures and acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region.”
He added that Saudi Arabia had been experiencing attacks and that the UK needed to “keep those pathways open”.
Reuters reported that the support will consist of one Voyager aircraft providing defensive air-to-air refuelling for a limited period.
The aircraft can refuel fighter jets while they are in flight, with UK officials saying the operation could assist Saudi jets involved in shooting down incoming Houthi missiles and drones.
The announcement marks the latest British military involvement in the region.
Earlier this year, the UK deployed its Sky Sabre air defence system to Saudi Arabia amid attacks from Iran, while British forces have also been involved in defensive operations elsewhere in the Gulf.
The UK and US also carried out strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in 2024 following attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
The latest escalation has seen the Houthis make gains along Yemen's Red Sea coastline, increasing concerns about their ability to disrupt shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Burnham is in New York for the UN General Assembly and is due to meet US president Donald Trump during the visit.
