Paris (HRNW)- French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will deploy military personnel, radar systems, and defense equipment to Saudi Arabia to help protect the strategic Red Sea port of Yanbu from missile and drone threats.
Speaking during a televised interview with TF1 and France 2, Macron said France and Saudi Arabia had finalized an agreement under which French military resources would be deployed to protect Yanbu’s energy facilities. He emphasized that the French forces would be assigned to defend the site rather than participate directly in the wider conflict.
The announcement follows renewed missile and drone attacks in and around Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Houthi movement. Saudi authorities recently reported intercepting ballistic missiles aimed toward Yanbu and Taif, while the Houthis have previously claimed attacks on Saudi energy facilities in Yanbu.
Yanbu is a strategically important oil-export hub on the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has relied increasingly on the port as an alternative route for crude exports when shipments through the Strait of Hormuz face disruption.
Saudi Arabia has also restarted operations on its East-West Pipeline, which transports crude toward Yanbu and provides an alternative export route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. The pipeline was shut earlier this month following a drone attack and has been operating at reduced rates while repairs continue.
Macron said the French deployment was intended to help protect critical energy infrastructure and contribute to the stability of energy markets while France seeks to avoid direct involvement in the wider hostilities. The exact number of personnel and specific defense equipment to be deployed have not been publicly disclosed.
The move comes as Saudi Arabia’s regional partners increase security cooperation in response to Houthi attacks and continuing instability affecting the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf energy infrastructure.
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