British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting called the Houthi attacks “absolutely despicable,” specifically condemning the targeting of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. The airport has been struck 20 times since the beginning of October, killing at least 18 people and wounding hundreds. “These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis,” the UK Ministry of Defence said.

In addition to the Typhoon jets, the UK will deploy an Atlas A400M military transport aircraft to support the movement of defense equipment within Saudi Arabia. The Ministry also announced an extension of its air-to-air refueling support for Saudi fighter jets by 90 days. Military advisers will be sent to assist Saudi staff officers.

The conflict in Yemen has intensified since the collapse of a years-long truce in September. Houthi rebels have increasingly targeted Saudi oil facilities and civilian infrastructure, including airports and military training camps. On Monday, a Houthi missile strike on a Saudi-backed government training camp in southern Yemen killed at least 53 people, according to Al Jazeera.

HA Hellyer, a Middle East expert with the Royal United Services Institute, questioned the definition of “defensive,” suggesting that the UK could be drawn into offensive operations if Houthi attacks on Saudi ships in the Red Sea occurred and the UK was in a position to intervene.

The escalating conflict has forced Saudi Arabia to postpone its flagship Future Investment Initiative conference until 2027. Major banks and private equity firms had raised security concerns about attending the event.