The British government has announced that it will increase support for Saudi Arabia’s war with Ansar Allah in Yemen by refueling Saudi fighter jets, as the conflict continues to escalate.
According to Middle East Eye, British Defense Minister Luke Pollard said that the UK would deploy a refueling plane, a Voyager, from a base in Cyprus to provide “air-to-air refueling” for Saudi warplanes to support “defensive” activity.
The UK is framing the support as “defensive” since Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, has been launching significant missile and drone attacks against Saudi oil infrastructure, but Riyadh reignited the war in Yemen by bombing the Sanaa International Airport on July 13.
The BBC reported that the support is for a limited time and could only last “weeks,” though it remains unclear how long the war will last. The news comes after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham approved sending military advisors to Saudi Arabia early this month, and according to the MEE report, British military personnel and air defense equipment has been deployed to the kingdom in recent weeks.
The US is also supporting the Saudi war by using military advisors, who are providing intelligence and targeting support. So far, the US has declined Saudi requests to directly enter the war, though President Trump was reportedly poised to launch strikes in Yemen over the weekend before reversing the plan.
Ansar Allah continues to make advances on the ground in Yemen, and Saudi airstrikes have escalated in recent days. Saudi Arabia was notorious for bombing civilian targets during its previous war against Ansar Allah, and Yemeni media reported on Monday night that a Saudi strike in Mocha killed six civilians, including two children.
