Andy Burnham has revealed the UK will send help to Saudi jets against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Speaking to reporters while travelling to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the prime minister said Saudi Arabia had asked for assistance.
He said: “On the advice of the defence secretary and the foreign secretary, last night I agreed to that request.”
Burnham said he was “acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region, because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attack, is looking at potential further disruption and we need to keep those pathways open”.
The UK will offer one RAF voyager for air-to-air refuelling for Saudi planes on defensive missions, according to Sky News.
The UK military is not expected to be used for a wider range of military actions.
Burnham said the support – due to start in the coming days – will be “time-limited” and kept under “review”.
The announcement marks the first time the prime minister has made a major military decision since taking office in mid-July.
Burnham’s offer to help comes as the Iran war continues to rock the Middle East and upset the global economy.
The US and Israeli strikes on Iran back in February saw Iranian forces close the major oil shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz, in retaliation.
A fifth of the world’s oil usually passes through the waterway, meaning the knock-on consequences have been significantly pushing up costs – for US allies in the Gulf and countries around the world.
Burnham insisted this military action would also help drive down the cost of living at home.
He also he will use his first meeting with US president Donald Trump on Tuesday to call for de-escalation in Iran, as the “dark clouds of global instability” are affecting people worldwide.
“Of course the message is that we want to see an end to the conflict as quickly as possible and we stand ready to play our part,” he said.
The Houthi rebels control parts of Yemen and have been attacking Saudi Arabia since July, when the militants declared a naval blockade.
The Houthis also claimed responsibility for a series of drone attacks targeting the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday.
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