Saudi Arabia allies line up support as Houthi attacks mount

France is sending its military to protect key Yanbu oil terminal; Pakistan and Turkiye to hold military talks with Riyadh.Saudi Arabia’s allies are rallying to support the country as the Houthi rebels step up attacks.France confirmed on Friday that it is sending troops to guard the major oil terminal at Yanbu. Meanwhile, Saudi officials are meeting with peers from Pakistan and Turkiye to discuss options under their mutual defence pact.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Yemen government forces claim control of Mount Qarfan in Taizlist 2 of 4Despite flurry of New York diplomacy, US-Iran deal remains elusivelist 3 of 4How much is UK supporting Saudi Arabia in its war with Iran-backed Houthis?list 4 of 4As major powers act unilaterally, experts say UN faces crisis in New Yorkend of listFrench President Emmanuel Macron told broadcasters TF1 and France 2 that Paris is to send “soldiers, radars, and defence systems” to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.“Not to involve ourselves in any conflict, but to protect the site,” he said.Yanbu hosts major oil storage and refining facilities and is connected by the East-West Pipeline, which can carry up to seven million barrels a day.The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah (supporters of God), have repeatedly fired missiles and drones into Saudi Arabia, disrupting oil flows from the world’s largest energy exporter.On Thursday, the rebel group said it had struck the facilities of state oil firm Aramco in Yanbu, and a “sensitive target” in Riyadh. Saudi forces said they had intercepted six ballistic missiles. Authorities have not confirmed any damage.The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye met on Thursday to arrange an “urgent meeting” of their military chiefs of staff under the Mecca-joint-defence-agreement" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="180845" data-entity-type="event">Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all, the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.They also condemned Houthi attacks that they claimed targeted Mecca and other civilian sites.However, doubt persists over what action Turkiye and Pakistan might take under the pact, which is yet to be officially triggered. Both of the Saudi allies are heavily involved as mediators seeking to bring an end to the conflicts across the Middle East.