The British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, communicated this Monday that the United Kingdom will provide "defensive" military support and "defensive in-flight refueling" to reinforce Saudi Arabia against the attacks launched by the Houthi militias from Yemen.
Burnham detailed that Riyadh requested "military support" and that the Government has decided to respond to this request with the approval of the Minister of Defense, Wes Streeting, and the Foreign Minister, Ed Miliband, according to information released by the BBC.
"We return to the argument about the cost of living and the responses to guarantee the interests of the United Kingdom in the region," Burnham stated to the media during his visit to New York, where he is participating in the annual session of the UN General Assembly.
The Prime Minister emphasized that "because evidently Saudi Arabia has suffered attacks that seek to generate more problems and we need those routes to be open and that is why we have accepted," referring to the strategic Bab el Mandeb strait, currently under the influence of the Houthis.
The British support is expected to materialize in the coming days, likely through the deployment of a Voyager aircraft from the Royal Air Force based in Akrotiri, Cyprus. Sources from the Executive cited by the BBC have emphasized that this involvement will be "time-limited," probably for a few "weeks."
The assistance from the United Kingdom would allow for the interception and downing of missiles and drones launched by the Houthis, who in recent weeks have struck Saudi territory in response to the bombings by Saudi aviation against their positions in Yemen.