UK Ministry of Defence Announces Plans to Send Typhoon Fighters to Help Protect Saudi Skies Against Houthis

British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting announced that the United Kingdom has agreed to provide additional defensive military support to Saudi Arabia to counter the escalating attacks by the terrorist Houthi militias, including the deployment of British Typhoon fighter jets to conduct defensive air sorties aimed at protecting Saudi airspace from drones and missiles.

In a statement, Streeting said, “The continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly the targeting of Riyadh Airport, are highly condemnable and reflect their efforts to escalate tensions in the region. For this reason, I have approved the provision of additional military support. Typhoon jets will conduct defensive air sorties to help protect Saudi airspace from drones and missiles, thereby reinforcing the British equipment and personnel already present in the Kingdom to help counter Houthi aerial attacks.”

Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defense stated in a separate statement that the new support will bolster the UK’s existing defensive contribution to Saudi Arabia, which includes deploying air defense equipment to counter missiles and drones, extending aerial refueling services to support Saudi defensive air operations, and targeting the military capabilities of the Houthis in Yemen that threaten both the Saudi and Yemeni peoples. The ministry clarified that these missions aim to “contribute to the protection of Saudi civilians and vital national infrastructure from aerial attacks by deploying Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets.”

In the meantime, Brigadier Turki Al-Maliki, the official spokesperson for the Coalition Forces (“Alliance for the Restoration of Legitimacy in Yemen”), stated that a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh had been intercepted and destroyed.

At the same time, the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition warned the terrorist Houthi militia against exploiting traditional maritime vessels—such as zamilas, houris, jalbas, and sambuqs—for smuggling weapons, missiles, and military equipment by sea. Such activities pose a threat to the security of Yemen, as well as regional and international security, endangering the lives and safety of civilians.