Britain will deploy RAF Typhoons, transport aircraft and military advisers to Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks intensify, targeting cities, airports and critical infrastructure…reports Asian Lite News Desk
The UK will deploy RAF Typhoon fighter jets on defensive air missions to protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure from escalating attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia, expanding British military support to the kingdom.
The additional deployment will focus on protecting Saudi airspace against missiles and drones, with the British government stressing that the aircraft will not carry out offensive strikes against the Houthis.
“The UK will fly defensive counter air missions to support the protection of Saudi cities and critical national infrastructure against aerial attack, using RAF Typhoon fighter jets,” the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday. “These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis.”
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the continuing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly the targeting of Riyadh’s airport, demonstrated the militia’s determination to escalate the regional conflict.
“The continuing attacks from the Houthis on our ally Saudi Arabia are absolutely despicable,” Streeting said. “That’s why today I have approved further UK military support. RAF Typhoons will fly defensive air missions to help protect Saudi airspace from drones and missiles.”
The latest move adds combat aircraft to Britain’s existing defensive military presence in Saudi Arabia, which includes air defence equipment and personnel supporting the kingdom’s efforts to counter aerial threats.
Alongside the Typhoon deployment, Britain will provide an RAF Atlas A400M transport aircraft to move defence equipment within Saudi Arabia. British military advisers will also work with Saudi counterparts to support staff officers on the ground.
The measures build on an announcement in September, when the UK pledged additional defensive military assistance following renewed Houthi attacks. That package included an RAF Voyager aircraft to provide air-to-air refuelling support but did not include the deployment of fighter jets.
Britain has also expanded its regional air presence in response to Iranian missile threats. In March, Downing Street announced that four fighter aircraft would be sent to the region to provide defensive cover, supplementing four RAF Typhoons already stationed in Qatar.
The latest deployment reflects growing British concern about the risks posed by attacks on Saudi territory and the potential consequences for regional security.
The Ministry of Defence said the UK’s existing contribution included air defence equipment to protect against missile and drone attacks, as well as extended air-to-air refuelling support for Saudi defensive air operations. That support also covers operations intended to degrade Houthi military targets in Yemen that threaten Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni population.
Houthi attacks raise risks to Saudi cities
The announcement comes amid a reported intensification of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, with civilian infrastructure and strategic facilities increasingly exposed to the conflict.
Saudi air defences intercepted a ballistic missile targeting Riyadh and destroyed a drone in the Eastern Province as cross-border attacks intensified.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh and destroyed a drone in the Eastern Province on Saturday, as the Kingdom faced renewed aerial threats attributed to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia.
Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki said the missile was launched towards the Saudi capital by the Houthis. In a statement posted on X, he said air defences had intercepted and destroyed the projectile.
In an earlier post, Al-Maliki confirmed that a drone had also been intercepted and destroyed in the Eastern Province.
The alerts followed warnings issued by Saudi Civil Defense shortly after 4am through its Early Warning Platform, covering Riyadh, Najran and Wadi Al-Dawasir. Two loud blasts were reported across the capital within minutes of the warning.
Later in the day, Civil Defense issued further alerts for Jeddah, Yanbu, Taif and Makkah governorates before lifting them shortly afterwards.
The latest incidents come amid a reported increase in drone and missile attacks targeting Saudi territory. The Kingdom has faced repeated aerial threats in recent weeks, including a reported strike on Riyadh’s international airport that was described as one of the country’s deadliest attacks in years.
Najran, in south-western Saudi Arabia along the border with Yemen, has repeatedly faced cross-border rocket and drone fire. Wadi Al-Dawasir lies further inland in the southern part of Riyadh Province, close to the Rub’ al-Khali, or Empty Quarter.
