PARIS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France will send military assets to protect Yanbu, a major industrial and energy hub on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.
Macron made the remarks in an interview with French television channel TF1, saying that France had finalized discussions with the Saudis on sending "military assets" to protect the site, including "soldiers, radars and defense systems".
Asked about the possibility of sending Rafale fighter jets, Macron said France would "see the evolution and according to the needs," noting that "we have some in the region."
He said his priority was to "bring down fuel prices," adding that it was necessary to "try to release stocks and improve the fluidity of traffic in the Middle East."
Macron's remarks came after Yemen's Houthi group said Saturday that it had launched large-scale attacks targeting the Saudi capital Riyadh and Yanbu, marking a major escalation in the confrontation between the two sides.
Earlier Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses had intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles targeting the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu, as Saudi strikes continued against Houthi-held areas across Yemen. ■
