Macron: French generals will aid Saudi Arabia in protecting oil facilities at Yanbu port on the Red Sea.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France will provide military assistance to Saudi Arabia to help protect oil facilities in the Red Sea port of Yanbu. This move comes as Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure continue, escalating risks to global energy supplies. France is further increasing its security support for key Saudi energy facilities.

Macron emphasized that France's mission in this action was to protect the Yanbu facility, not to intervene in a regional conflict. He stated that the French military would not participate in combat, saying, "We will not get involved in any conflict," but would instead focus on protecting this energy facility.

France will send troops and provide radar and defense systems to protect Yanbu.

In a televised interview broadcast on Thursday, Macron said that France would provide Yanbu with military resources, including military personnel, radar systems, and defense systems.

"We will deploy military assets—namely soldiers, radar systems, and defense systems—to protect the Yanbu facilities along the Red Sea coast," Macron said.

He then emphasized that the French army would not participate in related combat operations, but would instead undertake defensive and protective tasks.

"We will not get involved in any conflict, but rather protect this facility," Macron said.

Yanbu, located on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, is home to important Saudi oil exports and energy facilities. Macron's announcement of military support signifies a further step in France's previously proposed plan to protect Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure.

French newspapers Le Monde and Agence France-Presse previously reported that France was prepared to participate in the protection of Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure in a "strictly defensive" manner, focusing on Yanbu and the East-West oil pipeline connecting the east and west of Saudi Arabia. French diplomatic sources emphasized at the time that this "did not mean involvement in a conflict with the Houthis."

Houthi rebels launch another attack on Saudi Arabia, with Yanbu energy facilities becoming the focus.

Macron announced the plan as Saudi Arabia was attacked again by Houthi rebels on Thursday.

According to Bloomberg, Saudi Arabia stated that it intercepted missiles fired towards the Red Sea ports of Yanbu and Taif. Yanbu has previously been a key target for Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities.

A key reason for France's intervention is the recent series of disruptions to Saudi Arabia's energy export routes.

The East-West oil pipeline, connecting Saudi Arabia's eastern oil fields with the Red Sea coast, is a crucial route for Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and export crude oil to the Red Sea. The French presidential palace has previously stated that France is seeking assistance to ensure Saudi Arabia's oil production, transportation, and export capabilities.

Macron stated on Friday, September 18, that after the Strait of Hormuz was blocked, the Saudi East-West oil pipeline had become an important alternative transportation route, but the volume of crude oil transported through this channel also dropped significantly after the Houthi attack on Yanbu.

Therefore, whether Yanbu Port and the East-West oil pipeline can resume stable operation is not only related to Saudi Arabia's own oil exports, but also directly related to the global crude oil supply.

France is protecting its energy infrastructure while seeking to reopen the Hormuz region.

France's increased defenses over Saudi energy facilities are not an isolated action.

Earlier this week, Macron met with US President Trump in New York to discuss ways to alleviate rising energy prices and restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Macron stated his hope to promote the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz through diplomatic means and seek to allow more container ships and oil tankers to resume passage.

Reuters later reported that France is coordinating with the United States to draft a UN Security Council resolution, hoping to establish an international mechanism to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. France hopes to separate the issue of navigation in the strait from other disputes between the US and Iran, thereby creating conditions for the resumption of passage for oil tankers and other commercial vessels.

At the same time, France has extended its defense focus to Saudi Arabia's energy facilities along the Red Sea coast.

This leaves France with two parallel paths: on the one hand, pushing diplomatic efforts to restore energy transport through the Strait of Hormuz; on the other hand, using military defense to help secure another key energy export route for Saudi Arabia.

Energy security pressures spill over to Europe

Macron's recent frequent push for related actions is directly related to the pressure on European energy prices.

Macron stated publicly last Friday that the obstruction of the Strait of Hormuz and the attack on Yanbu have already impacted energy supplies. France hopes to mitigate the impact of regional conflict on the European energy market by reopening energy transport routes and protecting alternative export routes.

From the perspective of the oil market, the Strait of Hormuz, the Saudi East-West oil pipeline, and Yanbu Port are forming an interconnected energy supply risk chain: the former is related to the global seaborne crude oil supply, while the latter two are important infrastructures for Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and export crude oil through the Red Sea.

Therefore, while Macron explicitly stated that French troops would not participate in the conflict, France's announcement of military aid to Saudi Arabia directly protects a key node in the global oil supply chain. As the Middle East conflict continues, the security of energy infrastructure is increasingly becoming a crucial issue in diplomatic and military operations.

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