France to Send Troops and Defense Systems to Protect Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu

PARIS (Terror Monitor) — France will deploy military personnel, radar systems and air-defense equipment to Saudi Arabia to help protect the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, a key hub for the kingdom’s energy exports, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.

Macron said the deployment was agreed with Saudi authorities and would be strictly defensive. Speaking in an interview with French broadcasters TF1 and France 2, he said France would send “soldiers, radar systems and defense systems” to protect the site, stressing that the mission was not intended to draw France into the wider conflict.

“We are going to send military resources ... to protect this site — not to get involved in any conflict, but to protect this site,” Macron said.

The announcement comes amid escalating attacks between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. Reuters reported that the Houthis claimed missile and drone attacks against what they described as sensitive targets in Saudi Arabia, including Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Saudi authorities said earlier that they had intercepted six ballistic missiles launched toward areas along the Red Sea.

Yanbu’s Strategic Energy Role

Yanbu is one of Saudi Arabia’s most important energy hubs on the Red Sea and provides an alternative route for exporting oil when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.

Reuters reported that attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline earlier this month halted crude shipments through Yanbu. The pipeline is designed to transport millions of barrels of oil per day from the kingdom’s eastern oil fields to the Red Sea, allowing Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

The disruption has increased the strategic importance of Yanbu at a time when traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply because of the wider conflict in the region.

Reuters reported that no crude loadings from Yanbu had been observed since September 16, adding pressure to alternative export routes and global energy markets.

France Says Mission Is Defensive

Macron emphasized that France’s deployment does not mean Paris is entering the Saudi-Houthi conflict.

French officials described the move as an effort to protect critical energy infrastructure and support the security of energy supplies and international shipping.

The announcement also reflects France’s broader security role in the Red Sea region. The European Union launched the Aspides naval operation in 2024 to help protect commercial shipping from attacks in the Red Sea.

Macron said France was also continuing diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in the region rather than relying solely on military measures.

Macron Calls for Diplomacy Over Strait of Hormuz

Macron said France was working to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and wanted to continue diplomatic discussions, particularly with Iran and Oman.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, while the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea provide another major route for global trade and energy shipments.

The French president has argued that diplomatic efforts remain necessary despite the escalating military confrontation in the region.

The deployment to Yanbu therefore combines a limited defensive military mission with France’s stated effort to keep diplomatic channels open and protect critical energy infrastructure without becoming directly involved in the wider conflict.