French President Emmanuel Macron denied CIA warnings of a possible Russian drone operation targeting southern Europe and pledged Thursday to send "military assets" to "protect" the Yanbu site, a key component of Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure network on Thursday.
In a joint interview aired on broadcasters France 2 and TF1 he said "We can deny this piece of information, the CIA did not inform France of this information and the Italian defence minister said the same thing".
On Thursday, Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo published an article which declared that the CIA had alerted several southern European governments to a possible Russian drone operation targeting Spain, France and Italy.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto subsequently denied these allegations on Thursday, declaring on X that "the alarm raised this morning by a Spanish newspaper that hypothesises possible attacks on Italy, Spain, and France by Russian ships and drones serves no one and is not confirmed."
"We already live in difficult, 'nervous' times, and no one needs more fuel on the fire", he added.
Pledge to send military to protect Saudi Arabia on Red Sea oil route
Macron also affirmed that France would send "military assets" to "protect" the Yanbu site of the East-West pipeline on the Red Sea, which provides Saudi Arabia with an alternative route for transporting crude and refined oil to European markets.
He detailed that this would amount to "military assets, meaning troops, radar systems, and defensive systems to protect this site, but we will not be engaging in any conflict. Our aim is to help stabilise the oil market."
The pipeline has played a crucial role during the war in the Middle East, allowing Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz to export its oil. It can transport 5 million barrels of crude oil per day, with the capacity to temporarily increase to 7 million barrels.
The port, which also houses significant oil storage and refining facilities, has become a target for Houthi forces in Yemen, backed by Iran, during the current conflict in the Middle East.
"As soon as one of these locations is relaxed, the immediate impact is seen at the gas pump," the head of state added. "You'll see it in two days."
Hard-left France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon reacted to plans to mobilise military assets by calling for a parliamentary vote on the issue.
“Sending troops to Saudi Arabia means entering a theatre of war. If the base is attacked, what will we do? There’s no question of becoming a belligerent party," Mélenchon said.
Russia's threat against Europe
Addressing Russia's ongoing and intensifying hybrid campaign against Europe, Macron referred to the drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport on the night of 4-5 August 2026, which German authorities have attributed to Russia.
Macron said France had not experienced a comparable attack so far but warned that one remained possible. "When you ask me, 'Could this happen?' my answer is yes," he said.
The French President stressed that Russia considers “Europe to be the strategic heart of Ukraine," while also saying that the possibility of Russia seeking to launch an attack against Europe was "plausible."
"It is clear that there have been several signs indicating that Russia is preparing to do this," he stated.
As speculation mounts over Russia’s possible mobilisation plans, Macron said that a new mobilisation of around 300,000 personnel was a “credible scenario” that was “often shared”.
The French leader said he viewed this as a sign that Moscow was prepared to "make even greater sacrifices to take over the entire Donbas", estimating that Russia would need to advance for “a year and a half, two years” at the current pace to conquer the territories it does not yet control in that region, “with terrible losses and suffering for Ukraine.”
