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France to send troops, radars and air defenses to protect Saudi oil hub at Yanbu

Macron said the deployment is meant to guard the Red Sea export site, which Houthi forces say they have targeted with missiles and drones, “not to get us involved in any conflicts.”

Motion Media News Staff

Sep 24, 2026

3 minutes

Satellite-style photo of the coastline and urban area of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, on the Red Sea.

Photo: NASA/ISS (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons (source)

France will deploy soldiers, radar and air defense systems to Saudi Arabia to protect the Red Sea port of Yanbu, a key outlet for Saudi oil exports, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, Sept. 24.

"We are going to send military resources, that is to say, soldiers, radar systems and defense systems, to protect this site — not to get us involved in any conflicts, but to protect this site," Macron said in a primetime interview with TF1 and France 2, Reuters reported via Defense News. He described the plan as an agreement finalized with the Saudis.

Macron did not say how many troops would go, what equipment would be sent or when it would arrive, The War Zone reported. The outlet said that, given the mention of radars and the nature of the threat, the deployment is likely to center on air defense units.

Why Yanbu matters

Saudi Arabia has been moving millions of barrels of oil a day by pipeline to Yanbu to reduce its reliance on routes through the Persian Gulf, where Iran has sharply restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to The War Zone. Reuters said crude prices had climbed as the Yanbu route came under missile attack from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

Before Macron spoke, the Houthis claimed a further two rounds of strikes against Saudi sites, among them the Saudi Aramco facility at Yanbu, "using a number of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones," The War Zone reported. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it shot down six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu, according to a New York Times report cited by the outlet. The War Zone said it could not independently verify the claims.

Energy and Russia

Macron, facing domestic pressure over energy prices, said France has adequate gas and oil supplies heading into winter, Reuters reported. He called a possible U.S. diesel export ban "catastrophic" for the world and the U.S. economy; the White House has denied that such a ban is being considered.

He also warned that France could face attacks like the failed drone attack on Leipzig airport in August, which Germany has blamed on Russia. Macron denied a report in Spain's El Mundo that the CIA had warned European governments about potential drone attacks from the Mediterranean, saying, "The CIA did not inform French services." Russia rejects European accusations of hybrid attacks as baseless, Reuters said.