UK considers military support for Saudis against Houthis, report says
The British government is reportedly considering helping Saudi Arabia against the Houthis in Yemen after the kingdom asked it for diplomatic and military support.
Saudi Arabia asked Andy Burnham's government for operational support to help the Saudi military repel the Iran-aligned group's push south along Yemen's Red Sea coast toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and to defend against Houthi strikes, according to Bloomberg.
Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, took over stretches of Yemen’s coast near the strait over the weekend, followed by attacks on the East-West Pipeline, which carries nearly four percent of the global oil supply.
The Saudi government may need five to six weeks to repair damage from a drone attack on the pipeline, according to Reuters.
Oil already soared last week as a result of a lightning Houthi offensive that put the group in control of Yemen’s side of the Bab el-Mandeb, a key Red Sea chokepoint for Saudi Arabian oil shipments.
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Britain is facing a heavy economic hit from the conflict in the Middle East triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Burnham has reportedly been advised that if the Houthis control the Bab el-Mandeb strait, it will seriously impact international shipping, which could lead to energy prices soaring in Britain.
Burnham is understood to have agreed to send British military advisors to Saudi Arabia to support its efforts.
The UK has not commented on whether it will help Riyadh any further. Nor has the United States, which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also reportedly asked for assistance.
On Saturday, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband spoke over the phone to Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan about the Houthi attacks. Miliband said: "The UK stands firmly with Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised government of Yemen."
Saudi-led coalition air strikes in Yemen's southwestern Taiz province killed three people.
The victims from Tuesday morning's attacks included two children, the Houthi-aligned al-Masirah TV station reported.
Two others were wounded in the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said that 13 civilians were injured in Houthi attacks targeting the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Monday.
Pakistan and Turkey, which recently signed a joint defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, have not come to the country's aid over the Houthi attacks.
According to a Turkish official, this is because the agreement has not yet become operational.
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