Britain will fly Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets on defensive missions to help protect Saudi cities and critical national infrastructure from Houthi aerial attacks, the UK Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The ministry said the aircraft would operate only in a defensive role, would not conduct offensive strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis and would not operate in Yemeni airspace.

"The continuing attacks from the Houthis on our ally Saudi Arabia are absolutely despicable. The targeting of the airport in Riyadh in particular shows the lengths the Houthis are going to escalate the situation in the region," Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said in a statement. "That's why today I have approved further UK military support. RAF Typhoons will fly defensive air missions to help protect Saudi airspace from drones and missiles."

Britain will also deploy an Atlas A400M transport aircraft to move defence equipment within Saudi Arabia and send military advisers to support Saudi staff officers. The package expands assistance announced in September, which included an RAF Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft but not fighter jets; that refuelling support has now been extended by a further 90 days, PA Media reported. The additional support follows a request from Saudi Arabia's government, which Prime Minister Andy Burnham said earlier this month Britain was prepared to consider, Reuters reported.

Houthi attacks against Saudi oil facilities and other infrastructure have intensified in recent weeks as the conflict in Yemen has escalated, Reuters reported. Britain says the attacks threaten regional stability and risk disrupting energy supplies and trade routes — a direct concern for the lakhs of Indian and Punjabi workers who live and work across the Gulf, and for the flights and remittances that connect the region to Punjab. Streeting told reporters the bombing of civilian airports had led to hundreds of casualties, calling it an "intolerable escalation"; casualty figures in the conflict are reported by the parties involved and could not be independently verified in full.

Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; PA Media; UK Ministry of Defence statement.