Saudi Arabia gets UK military support amid Houthi attacks

The United Kingdom on Tuesday announced additional military support for Saudi Arabia to bolster its defence against renewed Houthi attacks in the region.

Following a request from the Kingdom, the UK will provide an RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft to aid Saudi defensive operations in support of the Yemeni government.

This builds on the existing military contribution to the Kingdom, including the deployment of air defence equipment and UK personnel helping to protect against missile and drone attacks.

The government noted that escalating tensions in the Gulf could disrupt energy supplies and trigger higher prices for households and businesses across Britain.

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London called the Houthis “a dangerous threat to regional stability in the Middle East”, saying it is in the UK’s national economic and security interests that they do not succeed.

Following Saudi Arabia’s retaliation, which targeted the Taiz, Al-Jawf and Marib provinces, the Houthis confirmed that six civilians, including two young girls, were killed in the city of Al-Mukha.

“The response is coming,” the movement declared in its official response, which put the total number of casualties from Saudi airstrikes and missiles on Yemen at 936.

“The massacres committed by the criminal Saudi enemy against the sons of our people will have dire consequences for it, by God’s will and power,” the group vowed.

Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States on Tuesday expressed concern about developments in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

In a statement alongside the EU, the allies said the situation in Yemen represents “an unacceptable threat” to regional security, global energy security and freedom of navigation.

The G7 foreign ministers called on the Houthis to immediately cease military actions, threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith.

The countries also demanded that Iran end its arming of and support for the Houthis in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions 1747, 2140 and 2216.

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