Saudi Arabia: RAF Support

Monday 26th October 2026 Lords Chamber

Commons Urgent Question

15:38

The following Answer to an Urgent Question was given in the House of Commons on Thursday 22 October.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to update the House on the UK Government’s support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as it responds to increased Houthi aggression in Saudia Arabia and Yemen. The whole House will have seen images of the attacks on civilian airports in Riyadh and the hundreds of casualties that those Houthi attacks have caused. The Government fully support the right of Saudi Arabia and of the legitimate Government of the Republic of Yemen to defend themselves. However, we now that there is no long-term military solution to this conflict. The support we have announced is designed to help our partners at this critical moment while supporting efforts to create the conditions for a political resolution to the conflict.

Although many of our constituents may feel that this is happening far away, we must be clear about the direct consequences for the United Kingdom. The Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait are among the world’s most important maritime trade routes, and continued instability increases costs for British families and businesses while also undermining security across the Middle East. Helping that part of the world to be more secure and stable is firmly in the United Kingdom’s national security and economic interests.

As the House will know, we have already been providing Saudi Arabia with air defence support and air-to-air refuelling from defensive Saudi Arabia air operations, and the Prime Minister has now authorised additional military support. We are extending the provision of air-to-air refuelling to 90 days, and RAF Typhoon aircraft will conduct defensive counter-air operations from Saudi Arabia; these aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes. We will also make an RAF A400M aircraft available to support the movement of matériel within Saudi Arabia in support of defence.

We remain deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the suffering experienced by civilians. Alongside military support, we continue our diplomatic efforts, humanitarian assistance and work to encourage political negotiations.

Finally, all partners receiving UK assistance must comply fully with their obligations under international law. We will continue to monitor and assess this compliance as part of our ongoing engagement”.

[Baroness Goldie (Con)]

My Lords, last year the Government authorised offensive action against Houthi targets in response to threats to international security. Last week the Minister in the other place indicated that the RAF Typhoon aircraft will operate solely in a defensive role. May I ask the Minister why the Government have reversed their position? Does such weakness not encourage an escalation in Houthi attacks against Saudi civilian infrastructure, with consequential risk to international security?

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Antrobus) (Lab)]

It is good to see the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, in the Chamber, and I welcome her back. She is referring to activities that took place where RAF jets conducted a small number of precision strikes between January and August 2025 alongside US partners, separate from the larger US Operation Rough Rider. The situation this time is that we are responding to what the Saudi Arabian Government have asked us to help with. As she says, we are providing defensive air support within Saudi Arabia to protect cities, populations and critical national infrastructure. That frees up capacity for the Saudis to then prosecute their targets. The RAF presence is designed to prevent drones and missile attacks. That is what has been asked for, and that is what we have provided.

[Lord Addington (LD)]

Can we go a little further on that and ask: can the Government give us an assurance that, if we have to do any more or commit more resources to this, the capacity under which that is done will be discussed by both Houses of Parliament before any decision is made?

[Baroness Antrobus (Lab)]

As the noble Lord knows, we have been discussing this with and updating noble Lords and those in the other place. The Prime Minister delivered a Statement in the other place on the first day back after the recess. He set out the strategic case for why the UK is supporting Saudi Arabia and answered dozens of questions on the matter. As the noble Lord will also know, the Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal repeated that Statement in this Chamber and took questions from noble Lords. Following adjustment to that support last week, the Defence Secretary laid a Written Ministerial Statement. The Minister for Veterans and People addressed it in the other place on Thursday, and I am delighted to continue to answer noble Lords’ questions today.

[Lord Craig of Radley (CB)]

My Lords, have the Government arrived at arrangements over rules of engagement with the Saudis? I am not asking what they are but I want assurance that they have been agreed. Will the Saudis be paying financially towards the contribution that we are making?

[Baroness Antrobus (Lab)]

The noble and gallant Lord asks important questions. On compliance with the law and specific issues about rules of engagement, I cannot comment, but we expect all partners receiving UK assistance to comply fully with their obligations under international law, including the protection of civilians, and we will continue to monitor and assess Saudi Arabia as part of our ongoing engagement. On cost, I cannot give the noble and gallant Lord details at the moment, although I can write to him afterwards. However, there is of course the interest that this country has in how activities around the Middle East and destabilisation in the region impact costs and other price of living issues here in the UK as well.

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I declare my interest as a long-standing member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Saudi Arabia. Recently His Excellency the ambassador gave us a full briefing on what is going on. All our sympathies and prayers go out to those who lost their lives in some of the incidents that occurred—including those who were there purely for pilgrimages. I welcome the support that our Government are providing at the moment—on the understanding, of course, that they will review it on a regular basis. My question is simple: the Minister will know that the US is having discussions with the Houthis at the same time, so what discussion, if any, has taken place with our counterparts in the US with regard to our response here?

[Baroness Antrobus (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for mentioning the impact that these terrible attacks are having on Saudi Arabia. As she knows, we strongly condemn them, hence our provision of support. Clearly, wider diplomatic actions are being led more by the FCDO than by the MoD, but officials on both sides are talking to allies in the region and, of course, the United States and other countries that are concerned that that action continues. I can confirm that the Secretary of State for Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff spoke to their Saudi counterparts within days.

[Lord Polak (Con)]

My Lords, once again the Iranians are causing havoc and supporting the Houthis. It is heartening that we are supporting Saudi Arabia in this, but surely we can do something here at home and proscribe the Houthis.

[Baroness Antrobus (Lab)]

We keep the list of proscribed organisations under review. It is the Government’s long-standing position not to comment on whether or not a specific organisation is being considered for proscription. Decisions to proscribe are taken only after a rigorous process, in close consultation with operational partners, based on the best available intelligence and a careful assessment against the statutory tests set out in the Terrorism Act 2000.

[Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate (Con)]

My Lords, the alliance between this country and Saudi Arabia is very important, and all the training that goes on between our military units is also important. In discussing the deployment of Typhoon fighters, can the Minister comment on anything else in terms of the alliance that we would deploy, if necessary, to deal with these Iranian-backed terrorists?

[Baroness Antrobus (Lab)]

The noble Lord is right to comment on the long-standing relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Indeed, I served in that country—more than 20 years ago, so that shows how old I am. We have agreed to work with the Saudis in providing the Typhoons, which we have discussed already, and an RAF A400M, which will support movement of defence matériel within Saudi Arabia. We already deployed air defence equipment and UK personnel to help protect Saudi Arabia against earlier missile and drone strikes. As the noble Lord will know, I am sure, there have been military personnel embedded within Saudi Arabia for many years, but there are additional advisers being provided as we see appropriate.

[Lord Robertson of Port Ellen (Lab)]

My Lords, I refer to my interests in the register. I support the Minister in the sympathy she expressed for the Saudi people, who are under relentless attack from the Houthis. I also commend the Government on the proportionate support and help that they are giving to Saudi Arabia.

[Baroness Antrobus (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend Lord Robertson for his thoughts on Saudi Arabia’s predicament. Our priorities remain to condemn the action of the Houthis, support our Saudi Arabian allies and help to protect the civilians on the ground. There are British nationals involved and at risk, and we are communicating with British civilians in the area. I would encourage any civilians there to ensure that they are registered for alerts. As well as with the immediate response to a critical incident, which demonstrates in many ways—I would say this, would I not?—the way in which air power can react so quickly to changing and moving situations, there is a longer-term need for diplomatic solutions; military solutions will not end this. Those are all reasons which have led to our providing support to Saudi Arabia.

[Lord Mohammed of Tinsley (LD)]

In terms of other defence partners with Saudi Arabia, particularly the Mecca joint defence agreement between Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, how does the UK deployment interact and co-operate with that agreement and its deployment to support Saudi Arabia in its defence?

[Baroness Antrobus (Lab)]

As the noble Lord probably knows, the Mecca countries—Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia—have met and had discussions. That is a completely separate alliance from our own; our conversations are with allies in the region and other allies that are also offering support. There have been reports of France and Italy offering support, although I cannot confirm—it is not my place to do so—what that will be. The conversations are across different Governments and different departments, and they will continue, as the noble Lord would expect.