France to send troops, air defences to Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks mount
France is deploying defensive assets to Yanbu, while Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye prepare urgent military talks under their joint defence pact.
Saudi Arabia's allies are rallying behind the kingdom as Houthi attacks intensify, with France preparing to deploy troops and defensive systems to protect the key oil terminal at Yanbu, reports Al Jazeera.
According to the report, French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would send soldiers, radars and defence systems to Yanbu to protect the site rather than take part in the conflict.
The Houthis claimed on Thursday that they had attacked Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and a "sensitive target" in Riyadh. Saudi authorities said their air defences intercepted six ballistic missiles, with no damage confirmed.
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Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also agreed to arrange an urgent meeting of their military chiefs under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, according to the Saudi foreign ministry.
The agreement considers an attack on one of the three countries an attack on all of them. However, it has not formally been triggered, leaving the extent of any military support from Pakistan and Türkiye unclear.
The escalation has increased pressure on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure. Yanbu is connected to the East-West Pipeline, which can carry up to seven million barrels of crude a day and provides an alternative export route to the Strait of Hormuz.
Houthi advances along Yemen's Red Sea coast and around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait have also raised concerns over global shipping and energy supplies. Brent crude briefly rose above $108 a barrel on Thursday before easing to around $105.77 on Friday morning.
