British RAF Typhoon jets will conduct defensive missions to protect Saudi airspace from Houthi attacks that threaten regional stability, energy supplies and trade routes. (AFP pic)LONDON: 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 Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
The ministry said the aircraft would operate only in a defensive role and would not conduct offensive strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis, whose attacks Britain says threaten regional stability and risk disrupting energy supplies and trade routes.
"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 minister Wes Streeting said in a statement.
