Houthis Claim to Have Downed a Saudi Fighter Jet Purchased from the UK

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed to have shot down a ‘Eurofighter Typhoon’ fighter jet that Saudi Arabia had purchased from the United Kingdom.

Video footage released by Houthi-affiliated media shows a missile speeding toward the aircraft, followed by the jet catching fire.

The Typhoon is one of the fighter jets acquired by Saudi Arabia under a long-standing arms agreement with the UK. A total of 72 such aircraft were purchased as part of a deal known as ‘Project Salam,’ with an estimated value of £4.43 billion.

London has long described Saudi Arabia as a ‘key strategic ally’ in the Middle East. If confirmed, this would be a rare instance of a Eurofighter Typhoon being destroyed by an air defense system supplied by Iran.

Steven Wagner, a senior lecturer in international security at Brunel University in the UK, noted that the aircraft in the video appears to be a Eurofighter Typhoon. However, he expressed skepticism regarding whether the jet was completely destroyed.

He told *The Telegraph*, “While there is an explosion-like event at the beginning of the video, I did not see a direct, catastrophic hit. The pilot attempted to evade the missile by performing tactical maneuvers and deploying flares.”

Wagner added that the weapon used in the attack was likely a standard Iranian mobile system. The key question now is how long it has been in operation there, and whether it arrived before or after the blockade was imposed.

He explained that such mobile surface-to-air missile systems are often used to lie in wait and launch surprise attacks on fourth-generation fighter jets like the Typhoon.

“These mobile systems are activated only moments before firing,” he said, “because keeping them active would allow Saudi forces to detect their radar signals and launch a retaliatory missile strike.” ‘Once the operation is complete, these systems are promptly shut down and relocated.’

He noted that while stealth fighter jets like the F-35 are somewhat safer against such systems, they are not entirely immune to risk. However, he cautioned against drawing definitive conclusions about Saudi Arabia’s overall capabilities based on a single incident.

Wagner remarked, ‘It would be inaccurate to say that the Saudis are incapable of defending themselves. That said, it is clear that the pilot in this instance fell into a trap set by Houthi tactics. Such a mistake is unlikely to be repeated, and the effectiveness of these tactics will diminish with each subsequent use. Both sides will inevitably adapt to the evolving situation.’

Meanwhile, fighting between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed Southern Giants Brigades has intensified on Yemeni soil. The conflict reached a critical juncture when the Houthis launched an attack on the headquarters of Yemen’s internationally recognized government—the first such strike. Five missiles were fired, targeting the Al-Ma’ashiq Presidential Palace in the southern port city of Aden.

The Yemeni government reported that two security guards were killed in the attack, though the Prime Minister and all cabinet members remained unharmed. Officials have described the incident as a failed assassination attempt.

This attack has heightened fears of a full-scale civil war in Yemen—a conflict that could potentially draw in powers beyond Saudi Arabia. Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia is engaged in an intensive diplomatic push, urging other Muslim-majority nations and U.S. President Donald Trump to join the conflict. Furthermore, Riyadh is framing the Houthis as a direct threat to global maritime trade.

Last Thursday, Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree declared that, with the exception of the sacred airspace over Mecca and Medina, most of Saudi Arabia’s airspace and its airports are now considered ‘high-risk’ zones.