- September 22, 2026
UK Approves ‘Time-Limited’ Air Refuelling Support For Saudi Arabia Against Houthi Attacks
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Andy Burnham said he had approved Riyadh’s request for defensive air-to-air refuelling, with a Royal Air Force Voyager aircraft expected to be deployed within days.
UK PM Andy Burnham. (AFP)
Britain will provide Saudi Arabia with limited military support to help defend against intensified attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday.
Burnham said he had approved Riyadh’s request for defensive air-to-air refuelling, with a Royal Air Force Voyager aircraft expected to be deployed within days. The arrangement will initially last for several weeks and will be kept under review.
The decision comes as the conflict involving the Houthis has widened, with the group carrying out missile and drone attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has also faced concerns over threats to energy infrastructure and shipping routes.
“We have received a request from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for military support, and on the advice of the defence secretary and the foreign secretary, last night I agreed to that request for defensive air-to-air refuelling,” Burnham told reporters as he travelled to New York for the UN General Assembly.
UK deploys Voyager for mission
The British support will involve aerial refuelling for Saudi aircraft rather than direct participation in offensive operations.
The move marks the latest step in longstanding defence cooperation between Britain and Saudi Arabia. The UK has previously supplied military equipment to the kingdom and earlier this year deployed its Sky Sabre air defence system to help protect Saudi Arabia from Iranian missile attacks.
Burnham said Britain was acting to protect its own interests as well as regional stability, particularly amid concerns over disruption to energy supplies.
“That is a time-limited agreement in terms of the assistance that we will provide, but we will keep it under review,” he added.
Burnham said Britain was also supporting efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, another vital route for global energy shipments.
Houthi attacks raise shipping concerns
The renewed clashes between the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government have piled fresh pressure on shipping lanes through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a corridor that carries a substantial share of global trade.
The Houthis have also imposed a blockade on Saudi shipping in the strait and the wider Red Sea, striking vessels linked to Saudi Arabia — the world’s largest oil exporter — as well as oil facilities within the kingdom.
Earlier this month, the group pushed deeper into Yemen, capturing the strategic port of Mokha along with key islands in the Red Sea, positions that give it greater oversight of traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb — a strait through which roughly 12 percent of global trade normally flows.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Ask News18Prime Minister Andy Burnham approved a request from Saudi Arabia for defensive air-to-air refuelling support, with a Royal Air Force Voyager aircraft expected to deploy within days. This time-limited arrangement is designed to help defend the kingdom against intensified missile and drone attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces.
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