Britain plans to send Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoons to protect Saudi cities and infrastructure and extend refueling assistance for Saudi operations as Houthi threats persist along Red Sea shipping routes.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced the patrols Oct. 20 as part of additional support for Saudi Arabia. It said the jets will defend against aerial attacks and will not conduct offensive strikes against Houthi targets. Britain will also provide an RAF A400M transport aircraft and military advisers.
UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting told Parliament that air-to-air refueling support for Saudi operations will be extended by another 90 days. He said the operations receiving that support may seek to degrade Houthi military targets in Yemen. The refueling commitment followed a Saudi request and was first announced Sept. 22.
In an interview with The National in Dubai, former UK Defense Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said Britain should consider renewed strikes on the Houthis if needed to protect Gulf allies and Red Sea shipping. Fallon, who held the defense post from 2014 to 2017, linked Gulf security to British trade, energy costs and inflation. “Gulf security is our security,” he said.
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) dates a Houthi declaration of a blockade on Saudi-affiliated shipping through the Bab el Mandeb to July 20. Its advisory identifies vessels associated with Britain or Saudi Arabia as facing elevated risk in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
MARAD recorded more than 100 Houthi attacks on commercial vessels from November 2023 to October 2025, affecting more than 60 nations. Those figures cover the earlier period, rather than the current escalation.
RAF aircraft joined U.S. strikes on Houthi targets in January 2024. Streeting said Britain would continue supporting a United Nations-led political process while reviewing both the conflict and the UK’s contribution.
