The UK has approved limited military support for Saudi Arabia as attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels intensify. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain will provide “defensive air-to-air refuelling” for Saudi aircraft after Riyadh requested military assistance.

Speaking to reporters while travelling to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Burnham said he approved the request after receiving advice from Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.

“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,” he told The Independent. “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, because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attack, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways open.”

The UK is expected to deploy a single RAF Voyager tanker aircraft for the mission. The aircraft is likely to operate from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The Voyager can refuel fighter jets while they are airborne, allowing them to stay in the air for longer during defensive operations. The mission is expected to begin within days and remain in place for weeks, although the arrangement will be reviewed.

The UK has already deployed its Sky Sabre air-defence system to Saudi Arabia this year. The latest support comes as fighting between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government has sharply escalated. Saudi Arabia backs the Yemeni government.

The Houthis have claimed drone and ballistic missile attacks against Riyadh and Saudi energy facilities. Saudi forces have carried out strikes against Houthi positions inside Yemen. The British government said Houthi attacks since July have targeted Saudi cities, airports, military bases and energy infrastructure in Abha, Jizan, Najran, Taif, Jeddah and Yanbu. Saudi shipping vessels in the Red Sea have also come under attack, with civilians injured.

The UK has condemned the attacks and said they threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait. British support will focus on Saudi defensive operations rather than assisting offensive strikes against Houthi targets.

Saudi-led strikes on Yemen’s Mokha killed at least six people and wounded eight others, according to Saba news agency.

Last week, Saudi authorities said they intercepted a drone over or near Mecca. The Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthis of targeting the holy city. Houthi political bureau member Mohammed al-Farah rejected the claim and called it false. Saudi authorities later issued security alerts covering Mecca, Taif and Jeddah.

Britain has previously conducted operations against Houthi targets. In January 2024, the UK joined the US in air strikes on Houthi military sites after repeated attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Voyager refuelling aircraft supported RAF Typhoons during the operation. In April 2025, British forces again joined a US-UK operation against a Houthi drone-manufacturing facility in Yemen, with RAF Typhoons supported by Voyager tankers.