RAF Typhoons to Defend Saudi Skies as the Gulf War Widens
Britain will fly Typhoon fighters on defensive missions over Saudi cities and infrastructure, and has extended an existing refuelling mission for Saudi jets by 90 days. Egypt’s president is seeking parliamentary authority for a defensive mission of his own, with the vote now delayed to Monday. Brent crude rose above $110.
Wes Streeting, the defence secretary, was explicit that the aircraft “will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis”. The provocation is not in doubt: a missile on Riyadh’s international airport this month killed 13 and injured 308, the deadliest attack in the kingdom in over a decade, and on Monday three ballistic missiles killed 73 police and security recruits, all aged between 18 and 20, at a camp in Shabwa. Britain has sold Saudi Arabia 72 of these aircraft in a deal originally worth £4.4bn and is negotiating 48 more, so it is now defending its own customer. HA Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute put the obvious question: “What does defensive mean? The UK might say it was defensive but the Houthis would see it as offensive.” On Egypt, one regional official says the contribution would be air defence and aircraft rather than ground troops. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards meanwhile claimed mines had halted three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, naming no vessel or operator, two months after President Trump declared the strait “totally cleared” of mines.