British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering responding to requests for military assistance directed at Yemen from the Saudi Arabian government.

According to sources speaking to Bloomberg, the prime minister has received various requests for diplomatic and military support from Saudi Arabia.

The sources stated that Saudi Arabia’s requests include providing operational support to its military to repel the advance of Ansarullah (the Houthis) along Yemen’s Red Sea coast towards the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as well as assistance in defending against attacks on oil infrastructure.

Under pressure to take action because of the economic difficulties generated by the war with Iran, Burnham is also concerned about creating the impression that he supports Donald Trump’s war against Iran, given that the UK public overwhelmingly opposes the war.

Reports had emerged that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked Donald Trump to conduct air strikes against the Yemeni resistance.

At present, the UK has approved the deployment of only British military advisers to Saudi Arabia.

This comes despite Saudi Arabia’s request for operational support to halt operations carried out by Yemeni forces along the coastline.

Former UK prime ministers Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer had provided more comprehensive support to Saudi Arabia against the Yemeni resistance.

The prime minister was also warned by UK officials that the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is of vital importance to global maritime transport and the economy, and that the capture of this strait by the Houthis must be prevented.

Earlier on Monday, Bloomberg reported that Saudi Arabia was seeking to increase the volume of oil shipments transiting the Strait of Hormuz after shutting down its East-West crude pipeline.

Saudi Arabia risks exhausting its exportable crude stockpiles if the East-West pipeline to the Red Sea fails to resume operations, according to reports.

Citing companies purchasing Saudi crude as well as market traders, the Reuters news agency reported that such an outcome could trigger a severe contraction in global oil supply.

Oil flows through the pipeline were halted following drone strikes. The government in Riyadh has not yet issued an official statement regarding the extent of the damage or the expected duration of repair works.

Sources familiar with the matter have offered differing estimates regarding the repair timetable.

One source speaking to Reuters noted that works could take five to six weeks, while another source stated that the damage could be repaired more quickly and that partial oil flows could be restored before repairs are entirely completed.

Stocks at Yanbu port reach critical threshold

Traversing the Arabian Peninsula to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, the pipeline carries approximately 4 million barrels of oil per day. This volume represents roughly 4% of global oil supply.

The line previously provided Saudi Arabia with an alternative export route, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz where maritime traffic has faced disruptions due to regional conflict in the Middle East.

Three sources closely tracking shipment schedules indicated that, following the stoppage, oil reserves at Yanbu port would suffice to sustain exports for only five to seven days.

A fourth source stated that additional reserves held in Egypt at the Red Sea port of Ain Sokhna and the Mediterranean terminal of Sidi Kerir afford buyers shipments for several more days.

Storage capacities stand at approximately 35 million barrels at Yanbu, 18 million barrels at Ain Sokhna, and 20 million barrels at Sidi Kerir.

However, sources stressed that these facilities are not currently filled to maximum capacity and warned that these inventories will be entirely depleted if the pipeline is not brought back online.

Output at lowest level in 30 years

According to International Energy Agency data, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea transit corridors pushed Saudi oil supply in August to its lowest level in 30 years.

Data submitted by the Riyadh government to OPEC show that the kingdom’s crude production fell from 10.9 million barrels per day in February to 6.2 million barrels per day in August.

In July, the Houthis in Yemen announced the launch of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. On 8 September, the Saudi Ministry of Energy announced that operations had been suspended at several energy facilities in the southern part of the country.

On the same day, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official statement condemning Houthi strikes targeting facilities in the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan, and Najran.

Riyadh authorities reported that 73 civilians, including women and children, were injured in the attacks. US President Donald Trump stated that Iran might be behind this attack on Saudi Arabia.

In oil markets, Brent crude futures recorded their sharpest single-day gain since late July on Thursday, 10 September.

The price of November Brent crude contracts rose by 6.3% to reach $107.6 per barrel. Prices retreated below the $105 mark the following day.

Iran reportedly acquired high-resolution satellite imagery from China both before and after a missile strike on an American base in Jordan in July that resulted in the deaths of three US soldiers.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing US officials, Tehran launched ballistic missiles on 17 July against Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in north-eastern Jordan. The missiles struck the barracks where American soldiers were sleeping, killing three service members and wounding four others.

The report stated that the Donald Trump administration had repeatedly warned Beijing in the months preceding the attack that Chinese companies could provide satellite imagery to Tehran. In May, the US imposed sanctions on the China-based companies MizarVision, Earth Eye, and Chang Guang.

Beijing rejects the allegations

Officials noted that following the attack, the Tehran administration published high-resolution images showing the damage sustained at the base. The American side reportedly presented documents demonstrating the link to the Jordan attack to Chinese counterparts; however, Beijing rejected these contentions and demanded concrete evidence.

Officials cited in the report stated that Beijing does not accept the claim that Chinese companies provided support to Tehran. According to the report, the officials did not disclose the names of the companies that provided the satellite imagery, nor did they claim that the Beijing government was directly involved in the incident.

Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said the accusations were “malicious” and maintained that cooperation between China and Iran is conducted entirely in accordance with international law.

The report assessed that these allegations could escalate tensions between the two countries ahead of a summit planned between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on 24 September.

Trump reportedly told his team that maintaining good relations with Beijing and Xi was a priority, leading senior American officials to avoid open confrontations that could overshadow the summit. According to the report, officials are particularly playing down the scale of potential support China could provide to Iran in public.

Washington concerned over naval forces

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi a few days after the base attack in July. Rubio avoided giving a direct answer when asked whether China provided intelligence data to Tehran, saying, “No action by China has in any way altered the course of the conflict.”

Sources speaking to the newspaper stated that the American administration is also concerned that Beijing could assist Tehran in tracking US naval forces. In recent days, Iran launched ballistic missiles at an American aircraft carrier and other military vessels.

In a report published during the summer, the Reuters news agency claimed that China was planning a major shipment of man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS) to Iran via Pakistan, an allegation denied by both the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Donald Trump, for his part, announced that during their face-to-face meeting in Beijing, Xi Jinping personally assured him that the Chinese state and companies would under no circumstances provide military support to Tehran.