Saudi Arabia intercepts new Houthi missiles as France pledges to shield key oil port

The Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government said six ballistic missiles were intercepted on Thursday, preventing strikes on Taif and Yanbu. Earlier, Saudi Civil Defence issued brief alerts for several areas, including Mecca, Islam's holiest city, along with the Red Sea region of Yanbu and the Taif, Jeddah and Tabuk areas. The alerts were lifted minutes later.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said on social media that escalations and violations by the Houthi group would be met firmly.

France pledges military support

As pressure mounts on Saudi Arabia, French President Emmanuel Macron said France plans to send soldiers, radars and defence systems to protect Yanbu. The port serves as Saudi Arabia's primary Red Sea crude export terminal, linked to Gulf-coast oil regions via the East-West pipeline. Yanbu also hosts major oil storage and refining facilities and offers Saudi Arabia an alternative route for shipping crude toward European markets.

Fighting continues in Yemen

Alongside the missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, intense clashes continued on the ground in Yemen. According to an AFP tally from seven sources, more than 150 Houthi fighters and government forces were killed in the past 24 hours, including in battles over hilltops near the Bab al-Mandab strait. The Houthis later claimed to have launched missile and drone attacks on command centres and weapons depots in southern Saudi Arabia, as well as on Aramco infrastructure in Yanbu.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied Thursday that Tehran directs Houthi military operations, saying the group makes its own decisions. The conflict has escalated since July, when a years-long truce between the Houthis and Yemen's government collapsed.