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The United Kingdom said Tuesday it will deploy fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen. Over the past month, the Houthis have intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia, launching ballistic missiles and drones at key infrastructure, including oil facilities and airports.
The US has stepped up its support for the kingdom militarily by boosting intelligence and targeting support. But Saudi Arabia has been asking the US for more offensive support, and so far, President Donald Trump has decided against striking the Houthis.
CNN talks to regional experts about this and other developments from the region.
0:00 What recent Houthi attacks say about their new strategy (October 23)
3:43 Trump envoy: US moving away from ‘guarantor’ role in Middle East (October 20)
3:57 A regional expert reacts to the envoy’s message (October 20)
7:20 What’s the next step for the US in Iran?
9:31 The push to label the Houtis as terrorist organization (October 20)
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<br>On Oct 10, a missile strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport caused an explosion that killed 13 people and injured 308 in the deadliest attack on the Gulf state in more than a decade.
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<br>Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, labelled the attacks "despicable" and announced that the UK would deploy RAF Typhoon fighter jets to the kingdom to help defend Saudi airspace from drones and missiles.<br><br>There are two reasons. First, Saudi Arabia is central to global energy markets, the security of Red Sea trade and the stability of the Middle East. Disruption to Saudi exports drives up UK inflation and business costs.
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<br>Saudi-led coalition aircraft have hit back across Yemen, including a strike on an oil facility in Sanaa on 13 October that the coalition says the Houthis used to store missiles and drones. The Houthis answered the same day with a strike on an Aramco building in Dhahran.