Andy Burnham is considering sending military support to Saudi Arabia to counter Houthi attacks.

Axar.az reports, citing The Telegraph, Riyadh has asked the UK for help, including possible operational assistance to repel the Houthis’ push along the Red Sea and to defend against strikes on its oil infrastructure.

Over the past week, the Iran-backed militants have mounted a lightning offensive in which they seized control of the crucial Bab al-Mandeb strait and launched attacks on Saudi oil pipelines.

The Prime Minister is understood to have agreed to send military advisers to support the kingdom while considering further options, Bloomberg reported.

In March, John Healey, the former defence secretary, said that the UK would deploy a Sky Sabre, the Army’s medium-range ground-based air defence system, to Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd Air Base.

It is unclear whether Mr Burnham will commit to anything further, especially given that Donald Trump turned down a similar request from Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince.

Mr Trump was urged to launch strikes against the Houthis to stop their advance, but declined.