France to send 'military means' to protect Saudi oil port: Macron

PARIS, Sept 25: President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday France would send "military means" to help shield the key Saudi oil terminal of Yanbu from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

"We are going to send military assets, meaning soldiers, radars, and defence systems to protect this site," he said during an interview with TF1 and France 2 during the evening news.

The recent Houthi takeover of Yemen's Red Sea coast has cemented the hold of Iran and its regional allies over two key waterways in the Middle East -- and the straits of Bab al-Mandab and Hormuz -- both major shipping arteries for global flows of energy.�" AFP