Writing for The Guardian, Paul Rogers warns that the UK is deepening its involvement in US-led wars, considering Labour’s first strike on Yemen's Ansar Allah as a troubling sign of alignment with a more aggressive US military campaign.

The UK Royal Air Force’s (RAF) recent strike on Ansar Allah in Yemen, authorized by the Labour government, joins a major US campaign, Operation Rough Rider, launched in March. The Trump administration says it has already hit over 1,000 targets in what it calls a more aggressive war than under Joe Biden.

The RAF, as reported by The Guardian, targeted a drone plant used in Red Sea attacks, signaling Keir Starmer's alignment with Donald Trump. Ansar Allah has been attacking “Israel”-linked shipping since the Gaza war began, claiming solidarity with Palestinians. As a result, Suez Canal traffic nearly halved from 2023 to 2024.

Rogers, emeritus professor of peace studies at Bradford University, says that while the US began its strikes in early 2024 under Biden, with RAF support approved by Rishi Sunak’s government, the current phase is far more intense, drawing concern over Yemeni civilian deaths.

Last month, Yemen’s Ministry of Health announced that ongoing US airstrikes across the country had resulted in 338 civilian casualties, including women and children, since mid-March. According to the Health Ministry at the time, 117 people had been killed and 221 others injured in the strikes, particularly since March 16.

This week, a US airstrike allegedly killed nearly 70 African migrants in a detention center, according to Ansar Allah, as cited by The Guardian.

Thousands of targets have been struck in the campaign against Yemen, mostly by US forces. The UK's role has been direct and deadly: Six weeks ago, a UK tanker from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus backed a US strike that killed 53 people, including women and children.

Akrotiri base emerges as key hub in UK-US support for 'Israel' during Gaza war

The emeritus professor shows that the Akrotiri base plays a central role not only in the US war against Ansar Allah but also in broader support for "Israel" during the Gaza war, serving as a key hub for US and UK military operations.

RAF surveillance aircraft have flown over Gaza more than 500 times since the war began, officially to locate hostages, though flights have spiked during major IOF offensives, and one RAF spy plane likely landed in occupied Palestine, Rogers writes.

US aircraft have also used Akrotiri extensively, with the UK withholding details even from parliament, according to Rogers. Indications point to US special forces and arms shipments moving through the base.

The RAF and IOF maintain close ties, with senior personnel exchanges and Israeli military transports landing at RAF Brize Norton during the Gaza war.

These links carry political weight. As global criticism of "Israel’s" conduct grows, especially with cases before the International Court of Justice and the ICC, its continued actions are bolstered by Trump’s unwavering support, enabling Netanyahu’s government to act with impunity and deepening "Israel’s" global isolation.

Starmer under pressure as UK deepens military role in Trump-Netanyahu war

The recent RAF raid in Yemen aligns with Trump’s broader regional war, while the Netanyahu government, backed by the US, escalates its assault on Gaza. Rather than the US and UK using their influence to restrain Netanyahu, Starmer’s government is deepening its military support, entrenching itself further in a divisive conflict.

Since "Israel" broke the ceasefire with Gaza, its blockade of food, fuel, water, and medical supplies has intensified criticism from the United Nations and other global leaders. Even if the war ends soon, its consequences will last for decades, argues Rogers, noting that UK Labour voters are staunch supporters of the Palestinian cause.

On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced alarm over recent statements by Israeli officials suggesting that humanitarian aid could be used as leverage in military operations, warning that such rhetoric violates the basic tenets of humanitarian law.

Rogers cites a second political issue, especially in Britain under Keir Starmer. Public support for Palestinians, particularly on the left, is now deeply rooted. Weekly protests and direct actions against UK firms linked to "Israel" continue with little mainstream coverage. Labour’s poll decline reflects multiple factors, but Gaza has alienated many core supporters. For some, it was the final breaking point.