France will send troops, radars, and defense systems to Saudi Arabia to protect the Red Sea oil port of Yanbu. President Emmanuel Macron announced the deployment on Thursday. “We are going to send military resources, that is to say, soldiers, radar systems and defense systems, to protect this site,” Macron told TF1 and France 2.

He stressed the mission is defensive, not involvement in a wider conflict. Yanbu hosts Saudi Aramco facilities and the western end of the East-West oil pipeline. The pipeline carries up to seven million barrels of crude a day, giving Saudi Arabia an export route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

The deployment follows repeated missile attacks claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Saudi air defenses intercepted six ballistic missiles launched toward Yanbu and Taif on Thursday. No damage was confirmed.

Brent crude briefly rose above $108 a barrel after the attacks before easing to around $105.77. Yanbu has become a major hub for moving diesel and crude to Europe since tanker traffic through Hormuz was disrupted. France’s foreign minister confirmed Paris will deploy forces to defend the facility.

Saudi Arabia has also held urgent military talks with Pakistan and Turkey under their joint defense pact.