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France to help protect Yanbu: Macron

  • Märkte: Crude oil, Freight, Natural gas
  • 24.09.26

French president Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said his country has finalized discussions with Saudi Arabia to send military assets to help protect the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

"We will send military resources, soldiers, radars, defense systems, to protect this site," Macron said in an interview with French news channel TF1. France does not aim "to engage in conflict, but to protect this site."

France and Saudi Arabia finalized discussions on the matter on Thursday, after Yemen's Houthi militants inflicted significant damage on the port, Macron said.

Macron underscored the strategic importance of Yanbu, noting that "a few weeks ago more than 5mn b/d were coming out of it. That is not negligible."

The Houthis claimed to have conducted fresh strikes on Thursday, targeting a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu and the Saudi capital of Riyadh. There has been no independent confirmation of the purported attacks.

France's offer of military aid comes a week after the UK agreed to limited refueling support for Saudi Arabia. The US has yet to extend any support for Saudi Arabia in the wake of the attacks.

President Donald Trump described the attack as a matter between the Saudis and the Houthis. "There's just one country that they're not too happy with," Trump said on 12 September, in the wake of the attack on the East-West Pipeline. "The Houthis called us, and they don't want to fight with us," he said.

Macron continued to emphasize the need for dialogue with the Iranians and Omanis to reopen the strait of Hormuz through diplomatic means.


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