Prime Minister Andy Burnham has approved airborne refuelling for Saudi air force aircraft, a move the commentary describes as limited and defensive. It says the Houthis have rapidly advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and now effectively control the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The strait is described as a vital shipping route between Europe, the Gulf and Asia via the Suez Canal. The article says Houthi leaders have agreed not to target US or other Western shipping in the Red Sea, instead reserving attacks for tankers they identify as Saudi.
The commentary says President Donald Trump declined a Saudi request for US military help, while France is bolstering air defences around Saudi infrastructure. The author warns that the UK’s limited role could expand through “mission creep” and says its success in curbing Houthi gains remains uncertain.