British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Monday, 21 September 2026, that his government had approved a Saudi request for defensive in-flight refuelling services for a limited period, amid escalating attacks by the Houthis on the kingdom.
Burnham approves Saudi request
Burnham told reporters, while travelling to New York to attend meetings of the United Nations General Assembly, that Britain had received a Saudi request for military support and that he had approved it on Sunday evening on the recommendation of the defence and foreign secretaries.
He explained that the support would be limited to defensive in-flight refuelling operations, noting that Saudi Arabia had come under attack and faced the possibility of further unrest, while London sought to help keep oil supply routes open and support regional stability.
Britain is due to deploy one Royal Air Force Voyager aircraft in the coming days to carry out the mission. These aircraft are used to refuel fighter jets in flight, as well as having the capability to perform strategic airlift missions. Burnham confirmed that the agreement was time-limited and that his government would keep it under review.
Escalating Houthi attacks threaten shipping and energy
He said Britain was also playing its part in the Middle East by supporting efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, at a time when trade routes and energy supplies were facing mounting security pressures. The Saudi request came after the Houthis, who control large and densely populated areas of Yemen, intensified their missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.
The attacks included an attempt to target Riyadh on Saturday, which was intercepted, as well as attacks on Saudi-linked vessels and oil facilities inside the kingdom. The Houthis also announced a blockade of Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea.
Concerns over shipping grew after their advance along Yemen's western coast and their earlier capture in September of the coastal city of Mokha and strategic islands in the Red Sea, strengthening their ability to monitor vessel traffic near Bab el-Mandeb.
Extended defence cooperation between London and Riyadh
Saudi Arabia had asked several of its allies, including Britain, France, Pakistan and Egypt, to provide air-defence support against missiles and drones launched by the Houthis and other groups backed by Iran. Britain's approval comes within the framework of extended defence cooperation between London and Riyadh.
Earlier in 2026, Britain deployed the Sky Cypher air-defence system in Saudi Arabia to help protect it from Iranian missile attacks during the war that broke out following US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.
The British government stressed that the new support was defensive and limited in nature, focusing on assisting Saudi aircraft in carrying out their missions by providing in-flight refuelling, while the duration and course of the deployment would remain subject to continuous assessment.
