UK to provide air support for Saudi jets in bid to counter Houthi forces

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that the UK has agreed to a Saudi Arabian request for military support, with an RAF Voyager aircraft providing air-to-air refuelling for Saudi jets over several weeks. It marks Burnham's first military deployment decision since taking office, coming after Iran-backed Houthi fighters advanced toward areas near the strategically vital Bab al-Mandab strait.

Saudi Arabia uses this waterway as an alternative oil export route to bypass disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The British support adds to the UK's Sky Sabre air defence system already deployed in the region.

Burnham linked the decision to domestic economic concerns, noting that Middle East instability has driven up global energy prices, fuelling inflation pressures in the UK and pushing government borrowing costs to multi-year highs just weeks ahead of a crucial budget announcement.

Meeting with Trump

En route to the UN General Assembly in New York, Burnham said he intends to use his first face-to-face meeting with President Trump to press for de-escalation of the conflict involving Iran. He warned that "dark clouds of global instability" are directly affecting people's lives worldwide and expressed hope for a swift end to the conflict.

The meeting comes against a difficult backdrop — Trump reportedly remains unhappy that the UK declined to support his military action against Iran, and tensions persist over defence spending levels. Burnham plans to emphasise the importance of the security partnership, pointing to a recent heavyweight torpedo test conducted in British waters.

Burnham is accompanied on the trip by his wife, Marie-France van Heel. At the UN summit, he is also expected to address artificial intelligence and climate change as the UK prepares to host the G20 summit in Manchester next year.