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What France’s military deployment means for Saudi Arabia’s fight against Houthis   Subscribe for as low as $2/week to access this story and all reporting.  (Enter your email) ()   (Continue)  (form-wx-bCjAlAnGv4_W5hlIQdnKHiYKQ_MaYAiISt4oVTpo)  (pro_subscribe_email_form)   By entering your email, you agree to receive AL-MONITOR's daily newsletter and occasional marketing messages.     Why AL-MONITOR?   AL-MONITOR is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.     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(Jared Szuba)   (https://www.al-monitor.com/authors/jared-szuba.html) Jared Szuba   Sep 25, 2026        (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.al-monitor.com%2Foriginals%2F2026%2F09%2Fwhat-frances-military-deployment-means-saudi-arabias-fight-against-houthis)     (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20France%E2%80%99s%20military%20deployment%20means%20for%20Saudi%20Arabia%E2%80%99s%20fight%20against%20Houthis&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.al-monitor.com%2Foriginals%2F2026%2F09%2Fwhat-frances-military-deployment-means-saudi-arabias-fight-against-houthis&via=AlMonitor)     (mailto:?subject=From%20AL-MONITOR.com%3A%20What%20France%E2%80%99s%20military%20deployment%20means%20for%20Saudi%20Arabia%E2%80%99s%20fight%20against%20Houthis&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.al-monitor.com%2Foriginals%2F2026%2F09%2Fwhat-frances-military-deployment-means-saudi-arabias-fight-against-houthis%0A%0ARead%20more%20at%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.AL-MONITOR.com)     (https://google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.al-monitor.com/)   Add AL-MONITOR on Google         (France s President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Saudi Arabia s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrives for a State diner in his honor at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Aug. 24, 2026.)      France s President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Saudi Arabia s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrives for a State diner in his honor at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Aug. 24, 2026. — Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images    (https://www.al-monitor.com/ar/originals/2026/09/madha-yny-alantshar-alskry-alfrnsy-balnsbt-lhrb-alswdyt-dd-alhwthyyn) عربي  (https://www.al-monitor.com/zh-hans/originals/2026/09/faguodejunshibushuduishatealabodajihusaiwuzhuangdedouzhengyiweizheshenme) 简体中文  (https://www.al-monitor.com/es/originals/2026/09/que-significa-el-despliegue-militar-de-francia-para-la-lucha-de-arabia-saudita) Español     WASHINGTON — French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced his government would send troops, radar systems and air defense assets to help (https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/09/saudi-arabias-return-hormuz-puts-oil-transfer-network-test) 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.    SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE   Continue reading this exclusive analysis   Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. 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