Andy Burnham has authorised the first deployment of the UK military since becoming Prime Minister, agreeing to provide defensive support to Saudi Arabia as Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensify attacks across the region.
The Royal Air Force will provide air-to-air refuelling for Saudi aircraft carrying out defensive missions against the militants, who are threatening vital energy supplies and trade routes.
The support is expected to begin in the coming days and will be limited to “weeks”, with a single RAF Voyager assigned to the operation. The Voyager is the RAF’s air-to-air refuelling tanker, allowing fighter aircraft to remain airborne for longer and operate over greater distances.
It marks a significant early test of Burnham’s approach to the use of British military power.The Prime Minister approved the deployment after receiving a formal request from the Saudi government and taking advice from the Defence Secretary and Foreign Secretary.
This is in addition to the decision taken in March by the then Defence Secretary John Healey to deploy a Sky Sabre, the Army’s medium-range ground-based air defence system, to Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd Air Base.
‘Defensive’ move to protect British interests and help against Houthis
Speaking to reporters en route to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Burnham said the decision was intended to protect British interests as well as help Saudi Arabia respond to the growing threat from the Houthis.
“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 refueling, and that’s the agreement that we’ve given,” the Prime Minister said.
The move comes after a dramatic deterioration in the regional security situation over the past week. Houthi forces have made significant territorial gains in Yemen, including around the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb strait, while launching attacks against Saudi Arabia and its energy infrastructure.
The strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is a crucial maritime chokepoint and any prolonged disruption could have consequences for international shipping and energy markets.Burnham said those “pathways” needed to be “kept open” to avoid “potential further disruption.”
“I got 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 attacks, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways open,” he said.
How long will UK military support of Saudi Arabia last?
The Prime Minister stressed that the assistance would be time limited and kept under review.
“It’s defensive support. We have support in the region to maintain the Strait of Hormuz open. We are playing our part,” he added.
Asked whether he would encourage US President Donald Trump to bring the conflict with Iran to an end when the two leaders meet in New York on Tuesday, Burnham said the UK wanted to see the conflict end “as quickly as possible”.
“Of course the message is that we want to see an end to the conflict as quickly as possible and we stand ready to play our part,” the Prime Minister said.
The decision to deploy the RAF puts Burnham in a delicate position as he seeks to support a key regional ally without drawing Britain deeper into the conflict.
It also echoes a decision by his predecessor, Keir Starmer, whose government allowed RAF Voyager aircraft to provide air-to-air refuelling support for US forces operating against the Houthis. Ministers argued at the time that the UK was acting alongside its closest ally in collective self-defence and to protect freedom of navigation, while the decision prompted criticism over Britain’s involvement in the US campaign.
Burnham is now offering similar aerial-refuelling capability, but for Saudi aircraft undertaking defensive missions.
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