Overview
- The Ministry of Defence announced Tuesday that RAF Typhoon jets will fly defensive counter‑air missions over Saudi Arabia to intercept missiles and drones launched by the Houthi movement.
- The package also includes an RAF A400M transport to move defence materiel, British military advisers to support Saudi staff officers, and a 90‑day extension of UK air‑to‑air refuelling for Saudi operations.
- The UK insists the Typhoons will not carry out offensive strikes or operate in Yemeni airspace, but the MoD did not disclose how many jets will deploy, their base locations, or exact start dates.
- Defence ministers said the move responds to a recent spike in Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including the October strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid airport that caused mass casualties and disrupted flights.
- Officials framed the action as protecting British economic and security interests by keeping Red Sea trade routes and energy supplies open, while stressing continued diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to end the wider Yemen conflict.