France to Send Soldiers to Saudi Arabia to Help Secure Energy Sites

France will deploy soldiers, radars, and air-defense equipment to help protect Saudi Arabia's critical energy infrastructure at Yanbu on the Red Sea under an agreement announced by President Emmanuel Macron. Macron said the French contingent is intended to defend the site rather than enter the regional conflict, while leaving open the possibility of further assistance. The deployment follows repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, including a Saudi-led coalition report that six ballistic missiles aimed at Yanbu and Taif had recently been intercepted by regional defenses.