What France’s military deployment means for Saudi Arabia’s fight against Houthis

WASHINGTON — French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced his government would send troops, radar systems and air defense assets to help Saudi Arabia protect its key oil export terminal at Yanbu on the Red Sea.

The decision comes after the UK announced earlier this week that it would dispatch a Royal Air Force Voyager air-to-air refueling tanker from Cyprus to join other British military assets helping the Royal Saudi Air Force defend its skies against persistent Houthi ballistic missile and drone attacks.

The moves were bilaterally negotiated with Riyadh, a Western diplomatic source familiar with the ongoing conversations told Al-Monitor. The announced deployments fall outside the norm of British and French military missions in the Middle East, which are typically organized under US-led coalitions.

A spokesperson for the Pentagon did not return Al-Monitor’s request for comment by publication time.