Britain to deploy RAF Typhoons to Saudi Arabia after 20 Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport

Britain announced on Tuesday it will deploy Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia to defend the kingdom against escalating Houthi attacks, following at least 20 strikes on Riyadh's international airport since the beginning of October that have killed at least 18 people and wounded hundreds.

The UK Ministry of Defence said the aircraft will protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure from drones and missiles. They will not conduct offensive strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Britain will also send an Atlas A400M military transport aircraft and military advisers, and has extended its offer to provide air-to-air refuelling for Saudi aircraft operating against the Houthis for a further 90 days.

British Defence Secretary John Healey called the Houthi attacks on the kingdom "absolutely despicable" and singled out the strikes on Riyadh's international airport. The deployment follows a request from Saudi Arabia and expands military assistance London announced in September.

The announcement comes after Yemen's civil war resumed following the collapse of a years-long truce in September. Houthi attacks have targeted Saudi oil facilities and civilian infrastructure. The rebels have also imposed a naval blockade and attacked tankers, disrupting oil exports and pushing up energy prices. Inside Yemen, a Houthi strike on Monday killed 58 people at a training camp for Saudi-backed government security forces.

Saudi Arabia has postponed its Future Investment Initiative conference, originally scheduled for October 26–29, until 2027. Major banks and private equity firms had raised security concerns about attending.