UK To Deploy Fighter Jets To Defend Saudi Arabia Against Houthi Attacks

The United Kingdom has announced plans to deploy Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The UK Ministry of Defence disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the fighter jets would conduct “defensive counter-air missions” to protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure.

The deployment comes amid an escalation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past month, with the rebels launching ballistic missiles and drones at strategic facilities, including oil installations and airports.

A Downing Street spokesperson told reporters that the UK was already providing air-to-air refuelling support to Saudi Arabia and had deployed air defence equipment and British personnel to help protect the kingdom.

The spokesperson said the Typhoon jets would intercept missiles and drones launched at Saudi Arabia but would not carry out offensive strikes inside Yemen.

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting condemned the attacks, describing them as unacceptable and warning that the targeting of civilian infrastructure could further escalate tensions across the region.

“The continuing attacks from the Houthis on our ally Saudi Arabia are absolutely despicable,” Streeting said in a statement.

“The targeting of the airport in Riyadh in particular shows the lengths the Houthis are going to escalate the situation in the region.”

The conflict has intensified since the Houthis announced in July that they would target Saudi shipping in the Red Sea and infrastructure within the kingdom, following a Saudi attack on the Houthi-controlled airport in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a.

In recent weeks, the rebels have stepped up their attacks, launching repeated strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

One such attack reportedly killed 13 people and injured more than 300, making it the deadliest assault on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

Last month, the Iran-backed group also launched an offensive along Yemen’s western coast, capturing strategic territory, including the Bab al-Mandeb maritime chokepoint on the Red Sea.

The development raised concerns about Tehran’s growing influence over another major international trade corridor.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s anti-Houthi government forces, backed by Saudi warplanes, have launched a counter-offensive to recover the captured territory.

Despite an extensive airstrike campaign and a major ground offensive, the Houthi rebels have maintained control of key locations and continued launching missiles and drones against their adversaries.

In a related development, at least 53 newly recruited Yemeni government forces were killed on Monday in a Houthi ballistic missile attack in the southeastern province of Shabwa, local officials said.

The attack drew condemnation from the United States mission to Yemen, which described it as a “cowardly attack by the Iran-backed Houthi militia” against Yemenis who had “volunteered to keep their communities and country safe.”

The latest developments underscore the growing security concerns surrounding Yemen’s conflict and the potential threat to regional stability and international shipping routes in the Red Sea.