UK, France offer defensive military support to Saudi Arabia over Houthi attacks
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and a French official said their countries would provide "defensive" military support to Saudi Arabia, which has come under attack from Iran-backed Houthi forces.
RastinewsBritain and France said they were ready to provide "defensive military support" to Saudi Arabia, which has been targeted by Iran-backed Houthi forces.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, speaking to reporters en route to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, detailed the scope of support Britain plans to give Saudi Arabia. He said Riyadh had requested military assistance from Britain, and that the request had been accepted on the advice of Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, with the support strictly limited to defensive purposes.
"We need to keep these channels open"
Burnham said British aircraft would provide defensive aerial refuelling support to Saudi jets. He said the decision was driven by concern that the Middle East crisis would push up costs for British households. British military tanker aircraft are expected to begin refuelling operations within days, with the mission expected to last several weeks. The support comes on top of the air defence system Britain already has stationed in Saudi Arabia.
Burnham said the support for Riyadh was meant to safeguard the interests of both Britain and the wider region, stressing that energy supplies and shipping routes must not be disrupted.
France: goal is to secure energy infrastructure
France also said it was ready to help Saudi Arabia, with its support aimed at securing energy infrastructure. A French official said Paris was prepared to work on protecting Saudi energy infrastructure targeted by the Houthis, describing the approach as "purely defensive."
The same official said France was ready to help secure the energy facilities at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port on the Red Sea coast and the East-West pipeline, but stressed this did not amount to joining the conflict against the Houthis.
After Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab closes too
The war with Iran, triggered by the US and Israeli strike on 28 February, and the blockades both sides imposed in the Strait of Hormuz disrupted energy supplies and increased the importance of the East-West pipeline, which can carry oil from the Gulf to the Red Sea. Iran-backed Houthi forces have meanwhile expanded the territory they control in Yemen in recent weeks, gaining dominance over the Bab al-Mandab Strait leading into the Red Sea.
Turkey had also pledged support
After the Houthis stepped up their attacks, Turkey and Pakistan, both members of the Mecca Defence Alliance, voiced support for Saudi Arabia and called on the Houthis not to escalate tensions. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking to NTV, said Saudi Arabia's military needs could be met and that Turkey had allied obligations under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. Fidan also said the crisis had reached an economically "intolerable" level.