France Deploys Troops, Air Defenses to KSA

By Staff, Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will deploy troops, radar systems and air-defense equipment to Saudi Arabia to protect the strategic Red Sea oil hub of Yanbu as Yemeni missile and drone attacks intensify.

Macron said the French forces would not join the fighting but would protect the energy facility under an agreement with Riyadh. The announcement came after the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted six ballistic missiles heading toward Taif and Yanbu.

“We are going to send military resources, that is to say, soldiers, radar systems, and defense systems, to protect the site of Yanbu,” Macron told TF1 and France 2.

Macron said Yanbu, which handles several million barrels of oil, had been “very badly damaged” in previous attacks. The port has gained importance for Saudi exports as the US-Iran war has severely restricted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, the Yemenis said they launched missile and drone operations against several “sensitive targets” in Saudi Arabia, specifically naming Saudi Aramco infrastructure in Yanbu. A Greek-operated Patriot battery also intercepted a ballistic missile and a drone in the wider area, Reuters reported.

The Yemenis have described their campaign as an effort to drive Saudi-backed forces from Yemen, end Riyadh’s blockade and restore Yemen’s sovereignty, while warning foreign powers against joining the Saudi campaign.

France is the latest country Riyadh has approached for military support after Washington declined to directly intervene against the Yemenis.

Earlier this month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly asked US President Donald Trump to order strikes, but Trump refused.

The US instead offered intelligence and targeting assistance while keeping its forces focused on Iran.

Riyadh has also sought assistance from Britain, Pakistan and Egypt as its missile-interceptor stocks come under pressure. Britain has agreed to deploy an RAF Voyager tanker for air-to-air refueling, while Pakistan has pledged to defend Saudi Arabia “to any extent” under their mutual-defense agreement, though it has not announced a new combat deployment.

Egypt has offered Riyadh “unwavering” political support without announcing military assistance, while Italy maintains an air-defense mission in the kingdom. An Italian Eurofighter at King Fahd Air Base was damaged in a Houthi attack last week.

The renewed Saudi appeals come as the Yemenis make territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including the reported seizure of Mokha and strategic islands near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The Yemenis has also targeted Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping while demanding an end to the blockade.

The pressure on Riyadh is coming from both sides of the Arabian Peninsula: Iran has disrupted Saudi Arabia’s traditional export route through Hormuz, while Yemen advances and attacks threaten the alternative Red Sea corridor through Yanbu and Bab al-Mandeb.