Key facts
- France will send military assets, including soldiers, radars, and defense systems, to protect Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port.
- The UN Security Council condemned continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's civilian and energy infrastructure.
France is set to deploy military assets, including soldiers, radars, and defense systems, to protect Saudi Arabia's crucial Red Sea port of Yanbu, a key hub for oil exports. President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision on Thursday, stating the move is in response to recent attacks carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels targeting the vital terminal.
The United Nations Security Council condemned Friday escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemeni Houthi rebels in a rare show of unity from the UN's top body. "The members of the Security Council condemned, in the strongest terms, continued Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including attacks impacting civilian and energy infrastructure, which have resulted in the injury of civilians, including women and children," said the rotating president of the Council, French UN envoy Jerome Bonnafont, delivering a joint statement.