UK prime minister approves Saudi request for aerial refueling support

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday evening that he has approved a request from Saudi Arabia to provide aerial refueling services for defensive purposes for a limited period, describing the move as one that will help stabilize the wider region.

Speaking to reporters en route to New York for the UN General Assembly, Sunak said, "We received a request from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for military support, and based on the advice of the minister of defense and minister of foreign affairs, I approved last night the request to provide aerial refueling services for defensive purposes."

He added, "Saudi Arabia, of course, is under attack... and we need to keep those routes open, which is why we approved the request."

Britain will deploy a single Voyager aircraft in the coming days to provide the new aerial refueling support.

Sunak said, "It is a time-limited agreement in terms of the assistance we will provide, but we will keep it under review," adding that the UK is also "playing its part" in the Middle East by supporting efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.