France Deploys Forces to Guard Saudi Yanbu Oil Terminal Amid Rising Prices

France confirmed on Thursday that it is beginning to implement the operational side of an agreement to protect Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure, focusing on the Yanbu terminal that caps the East-West pipeline. While the foreign ministry did not specify the forces involved, it said soldiers, radars and defence systems are being deployed. President Emmanuel Macron revealed the decision in a televised interview, signalling a departure from France’s historically cautious defence cooperation with Riyadh.

The deployment comes as Saudi facilities face increasing drone and missile attacks, primarily from Iran and Yemen, and as higher oil prices raise living costs in France. This initiative follows France’s recent provision of surface-to-air systems to the United Arab Emirates under a longstanding defence pact. Meanwhile, the United States, after a recent request from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has limited its involvement to intelligence sharing, prompting France to assume a more active role.