France to Deploy Troops and Air Defences at Saudi Oil Hub, Macron Says
Macron says France will send soldiers, radars and air defence systems to protect Saudi Arabia's Yanbu oil terminal, and warns Russia sees Europe as a target.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France will send soldiers, radars and air defence systems to help protect Yanbu, Saudi Arabia's main oil-export terminal on the Red Sea, as attacks on the kingdom intensify.
Speaking in Paris, Macron said French aircraft are already present in the region and that further deployments, including Rafale fighter jets, would be considered depending on how the situation develops. He noted that more than five million barrels a day were shipped from the site a few weeks ago.
The announcement follows a sharp rise in attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen against Saudi Arabia, which also threaten shipping in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at Yanbu and the south-western city of Taif.
Macron also warned that Moscow increasingly views Europe as part of the battlefield because of European support for Ukraine. He said Russia considers Europe to be Ukraine's "strategic depth", pointing to a rise in hostile acts across the continent in recent weeks, and cautioned that European countries could be targeted. He said sensitive civilian sites, military installations and defence-industrial facilities are being given additional protection region by region.
He rejected reports that the CIA had warned French intelligence of a specific Russian attack, saying the claim could be denied and that Italy's defence minister had likewise denied receiving such a warning.
On energy, Macron said France has replenished its gas stocks and expects to reach 80% of full capacity within weeks, the target set at European level, and that it also holds oil reserves. He said Paris would keep working diplomatically with Iran and Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, secure alternative volumes and use its reserves if needed.
He added that France, which holds the G7 presidency, would convene the group within days to examine making stocks available to ease the market if required. Asked about the possibility of a decision that could push diesel prices higher, Macron said such a move would be bad not only for the rest of the world but for the American economy as well.