Andy Burnham deploys RAF jet for first time to support Saudi Arabia against Houthis in Yemen

You are about to be charged £0.00* *Your gift has been applied Thank you for subscribing! Andy Burnham deploys RAF jet for first time to support Saudi Arabia against Houthis in Yemen The Prime Minister said he had agreed that the Saudi Air Force would be supported by a single RAF A400M Voyager The fearless champion of Britain, its voices and its values. Join the fight for free speech and fearless journalism. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Community Rules. Don't Miss Most Read Latest A Royal Air Force jet will be deployed to help Saudi Arabia with its war against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, Andy Burnham said last night. The Prime Minister said he had agreed that the Saudi Air Force would be supported by an RAF A400M Voyager to aid with refuelling during its conflict with the Houthis. It is the first time Mr Burnham has deployed a RAF jet to assist another country militarily in a fresh conflict zone since he became Prime Minister two months ago. It comes days after Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen said they carried out drone and ballistic missile attacks on Riyadh, the capital of the desert kingdom. The Prime Minister took the action last night after advice from Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, and Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary. The RAF jet will begin missions with the Saudi military for a limited period in the coming weeks, GB News understands. Mr Burnham was asked by reporters en route to a meeting of the United Nations in New York City if he had considered a request from the Saudis for military assistance against the Houthis. He replied: “We have received a request from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for military support. It is the first time Mr Burnham has deployed a RAF jet to assist another country militarily |PA "On the advice of the Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary, last night I agreed to that request for defensive air-to-air refuelling." Mr Burnham said he had taken the action due to concerns about "cost-of-living pressures and acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region". He pointed out that “because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attack [and] looking at potential further disruption, we need to keep those pathways open, and hence our agreement to the request.” Britain already has a military presence in Saudi Arabia, with around 100 personnel supporting the kingdom's air defences. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS The Saudi Air Force will be supported by an RAF A400M Voyager in its fight against the Houthis |MINISTRY OF DEFENCE The UK also deployed its Sky Sabre missile system to the country earlier this year as part of efforts to strengthen its wider air defence network. The system is designed to intercept a range of threats, including fighter aircraft, drones and guided bombs, and can engage multiple targets simultaneously. The latest move comes after the UK carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in April last year. Those strikes targeted what the Government described as a “cluster of buildings” used by the group to manufacture attack drones. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia from neighbouring Yemen in recent days, with missile and drone attacks injuring people in the kingdom's south. They have already seized the strategic island of Perim at the mouth of the Red Sea, in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. However, they claim they pose no threat to international shipping - only to Saudi vessels. "Iran, directly and through proxies, controls two of the most strategic choke points in the Middle East and the world," Farea al-Muslimi, a research fellow at London's Chatham House think tank, told the BBC. The country now effectively runs "more than 35 per cent of the fuel and oil trade globally", he added. "This is as much leverage as a nuclear bomb." The UK has previously said Saudi Arabia has the right to defend its security and sovereignty in accordance with international law. The Government has also said it remains committed to working with regional partners to support stability and protect civilians.