Saudi Grand Mufti urges troops to attack Yemen as Macron announces deployment in Yanbu
The image shows a Yemeni missile strike on Saudi trucks carrying military equipment from Saudi Arabia to the Al-Wadiah militant camp in Yemen’s Hadhramaut Province, September 22, 2026. (Photo: AFP)
Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti has urged Saudi and coalition troops to be ready to “sacrifice their lives” in attacking Yemen as France says it will deploy military personnel and defense equipment to Saudi Arabia as Riyadh faces mounting pressure from Yemeni armed forces.
In a rare statement on Friday, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan has called on Saudi soldiers and coalition forces on the front lines to remain steadfast in the face of retaliatory strikes by Yemeni Armed Forces.
Al-Fawzan portrayed the defense of Saudi Arabia and its borders as a major religious duty, citing the presence of two holy mosques.
Separately, Macron said on Thursday that France would send “soldiers, radars, and defense systems” to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, adding that the deployment was “not to involve ourselves in any conflict, but to protect the site.”
Yanbu hosts major oil storage and refining facilities and is connected to the East-West Pipeline, which can carry up to seven million barrels of crude per day.
Following the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on US and allied vessels by Iran’s Armed Forces, Riyadh had been relying on the East-West Pipeline to export its oil.
The French deployment comes as Yemeni armed forces have intensified missile and drone attacks on Saudi targets.
Yemeni armed forces’ spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree revealed on Thursday that Yemeni troops had struck Aramco facilities in Yanbu and a “sensitive target” in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia has meanwhile turned to Turkey and Pakistan for support, with the three countries arranging an “urgent meeting” of their military chiefs under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.
However, as the pact has not been ratified by the parliaments of Turkey or Pakistan, it does not automatically require Ankara or Islamabad to deploy troops.
The latest Saudi attacks come after more than a decade of Saudi-led war and blockade against Yemen, which began in 2015 when Riyadh intervened militarily to restore the former regime.
Saudi Arabia has sharply escalated its aggression in recent weeks, with Yemeni officials reporting hundreds of airstrikes across the country as Riyadh seeks to restore a Saudi-backed regime in Sana’a.
Yemeni armed forces have responded with a major counteroffensive along the Red Sea coast, driving Saudi-supported militants from strategic positions and capturing the port city of Mokha before advancing toward Bab al-Mandab.
The Yemeni forces have since seized strategic areas and islands around the waterway, significantly strengthening their position at one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.