A Royal Air Force Typhoon jet taxis towards the runway at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, UK, at sunset, ready to take off.
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Britain said it would provide defensive military support, including fighter jets, to support Saudi Arabia as attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensify.
The Houthis, a Yemeni militant group, have launched a series of strikes against Saudi targets in recent weeks. Attacks at the airport in the capital Riyadh caused scores of deaths, flight cancellations and property damage, while facilities belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco were targeted last week.
“The Houthis’ continued attacks on our ally Saudi Arabia are absolutely despicable. The targeting of Riyadh airport in particular shows how far the Houthis will escalate the situation in the region,” British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said in a statement on Tuesday.
New deployment adds to Britain’s existing Saudi mission
He added that the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon fighter jets will fly defensive air missions to help protect Saudi airspace against drones and missiles.
“This builds on the British equipment and personnel we already have in the country to defend against Houthi air attacks,” Streeting said.
The British Ministry of Defense also said the fighter jets would only operate in a defensive role and would not carry out offensive strikes against the Houthis.
He said the Royal Air Force would also provide a Airbus The A400M Atlas “to support the movement of defense equipment into Saudi Arabia”, while British military advisers will also provide support to Saudi staff officers.
“The escalation of violence in the Gulf may have serious consequences in the UK, increasing the cost of living, disrupting energy supplies and costs for UK businesses. It is also causing havoc among Yemen’s civilian population,” the Ministry of Defense said.
“We unequivocally condemn Houthi attacks on civilian targets like King Khalid International Airport and are clear that Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen have the right to defend themselves.”
Yemen fighting intensifies as Iran war ripples
Yemen’s civil war has returned to the form of large-scale fighting between the Houthis and the country’s internationally recognized government, amid a broader regional escalation linked to the US-Iran war.
Al Jazeera reported on Monday that at least 53 people were killed when the Houthis launched three ballistic missiles at a military camp in southern Yemen. CNBC was unable to independently verify the information.
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