France says military aid to Saudi Arabia is 'strictly defensive'

France is providing military support to Saudi Arabia to help defend against attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasizing the deployment is "strictly defensive." President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that French troops, radar units, and defense systems would be sent to the kingdom.

Barrot clarified on France 2 that this assistance does not make Paris a party to Saudi Arabia's war against the Houthis, stating, "Absolutely not… This is strictly defensive." He added that France has deployed military assets to protect allies and partners since the start of the "US-Israeli war against Iran," but this does not mean France can be considered a co-belligerent. The scale of the French deployment will be determined by Saudi Arabia's requests, France's capacities, and the evolving situation.

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated missile and drone attacks from the Houthis, particularly targeting oil installations like those in Yanbu and along the East-West Pipeline. These attacks aim to disrupt Saudi energy exports. The East-West Pipeline, a critical crude oil export route, had been moving approximately 4-5 million barrels per day, representing about 4-5% of global oil supply, before being disrupted by drone attacks. France's involvement is also partly driven by concerns over rising domestic fuel prices due to Middle East conflict.