British Prime Minister Andy Burnham agreed to provide military support to Saudi Arabia to help it counter attacks by pro-Iranian Houthis, media outlets reported on Monday.
British aircraft will provide mid-air refueling to Saudi fighter jets, Burnham told journalists while traveling to the UN General Assembly in New York.
The British mission will be limited to supporting Saudi aircraft defending the country from Houthi drone and missile attacks, rather than striking the Yemeni movement, the PA news agency reported.
The Voyager tanker aircraft is expected to begin operations in the coming days, with its mission limited to a few "weeks," according to officials.
The refueling mission adds to the UK Sky Sabre air defense system, already deployed in Saudi Arabia.
Burnham told journalists he was doing so to "secure British interests and the region more broadly because, of course, Saudi Arabia has faced attacks, there could be further disruptions, and we need to keep those routes open, and that is why we agreed to the request," according to British media.
On Saturday, the Houthis attacked Riyadh for the first time in years.
The pro-Iranian movement launched a lightning offensive to seize the entire Red Sea coast of Yemen, which would give them control over the vital Bab el-Mandeb strait.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition since 2015 supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government.
Its interventions escalated the war in Yemen, which triggered one of the worst humanitarian crises in the impoverished country.
