A British tanker aircraft will assist with "defensive aerial refueling" of Saudi fighter jets, the government in London announced after a request from Saudi Arabia, which has recently been subjected to repeated attacks from the Houthis in Yemen.
The G7 countries, which include the UK, are simultaneously urging the Houthi movement to cease "all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return in good faith to the political process," the cooperation organisation's foreign ministers wrote in a joint statement.
They also call on Iran to stop “arming and supporting” the Houthis. In addition to the UK, the G7 consists of the US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Japan.
Just hours earlier, six people - including two children - were reported killed in a Saudi attack on the Houthi-controlled port city of Mokca in Yemen, located near the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait. The Houthis have been in control of Mocca for a couple of weeks after large-scale attacks forced Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, from the city.
On Saturday, the Houthis attacked the Saudi capital, Riyadh, for the first time in years, in what was described as a major escalation of the conflict.
