French military deployment to Saudi Arabia is ‘strictly defensive’, minister says

French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot stated that France's military deployment to Saudi Arabia is "strictly defensive". This deployment, which includes troops, radar units, and defence systems, aims to help defend against attacks by Yemen's Houthis. According to Barrot, France's involvement does not make it a party to Saudi Arabia's war against the Houthis.

The French military assistance was announced by President Emmanuel Macron. Barrot emphasized that France's role is defensive and that it will not be considered a co-belligerent in the conflict.

There was no direct comment from Saudi Arabia on the French deployment in the provided reports. Other news from Saudi Arabia includes the completion of over 200 kilometers of stormwater drainage networks across several cities and regions during the first half of 2026, according to the Saudi Gazette. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has pledged $6 million in support for a UN counter-terrorism center, as announced by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

Brief written by urgent.news from Middle East Eye, Saudi Gazette, Ajel English, Gulf News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.