UK's Military Support Decision to Saudi Arabia

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham made important statements to journalists before his visit to New York. Prime Minister Burnham stated that they agreed to provide military support to Saudi Arabia to help it repel the attacks of the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. "We received a request for military support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and on the advice of the Minister of Defense and the Secretary of State, I accepted the request for defensive air-to-air refueling," Burnham said. Burnham emphasized that the agreement is "termed" and will be constantly reviewed. "Given that Saudi Arabia remains vulnerable to attack, potentially at risk of further disruption, and its oil pipelines must be kept open, we are acting to protect the interests of the UK and the wider region," Burnham said.

RAF VOYAGER AIRCRAFT WILL BE DEPLOYED

British Defense Minister Luke Pollard said that Britain's RAF Voyager aircraft, operating from a base in Cyprus, will begin "air-to-air refueling" operations in the coming days. Minister Pollard stated that the support in question was "purely for defensive purposes". "We have accepted Saudi Arabia's request for aerial refueling, which will allow Saudi jets to stay in the air for longer," Pollard said. Pollard emphasized that the UK's support was fully in line with international humanitarian law and meant "being honest with its allies".

WHAT HAPPENED?

After the conflict between the Houthi militias and the Saudi-backed government in Yemen flared up again in recent weeks, Saudi Arabia asked for support from the UK. While the Houthi militia launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, they last targeted Riyadh on Saturday.