French lawmaker Amélia Lakrafi affirmed that France will continue providing defensive support to Saudi Arabia, including deploying troops and equipment to help protect its critical infrastructure, stressing that Paris is not a party to the war and that its commitment to the Kingdom is strictly defensive.
She also revealed French and European efforts to explore the possibility of imposing sanctions on the Houthis and Iran, while noting that some of Saudi Arabia's traditional allies have not been as present as expected during the current crisis.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Lakrafi said France prioritizes dialogue and diplomacy while remaining committed to supporting its Saudi partner and strengthening its defensive capabilities.
She said that the French troops and equipment that Paris is sending to the Kingdom, and will continue to send, are intended to ensure Saudi Arabia's security and defense, not to carry out offensive operations.
She explained that the extent of France's commitment depends primarily on its available personnel and material resources, emphasizing that as long as France has the necessary capabilities to contribute to protecting critical infrastructure, whether in Yanbu or elsewhere, it will continue providing this support.
She added that French President Emmanuel Macron guarantees the continuation of this commitment and follows through on his pledges.
Lakrafi said she found it striking that some of Saudi Arabia's traditional allies "have not been as present as expected during this crisis."
By contrast, she said, "France has demonstrated its presence and commitment to the Kingdom, as reflected in President Macron's visit to Saudi Arabia, which conveyed a clear message of solidarity."
She stressed that Paris does not confine itself to statements but takes action on both diplomatic and practical fronts by participating in initiatives aimed at resolving the crisis and supporting emergency meetings of the UN Security Council, while providing the equipment needed to strengthen Saudi Arabia's defense and security capabilities and protect its critical infrastructure.
She said this engagement reflects the nature of the Saudi-French partnership, emphasizing that France has proven itself a reliable partner to the Kingdom and Gulf countries.
"Saudi-French relations have developed significantly and are expected to strengthen further, particularly in the security field," she said.
Assessing regional developments, the French lawmaker warned of the consequences of renewed US and Israeli attacks on Iran, arguing that such escalation could prompt Tehran to retaliate more aggressively against neighboring countries.
She said the question troubling her, and many others, concerns "what the United States will decide and what steps Washington and Israel may take in the coming days and weeks."
She outlined two possible scenarios: continued economic pressure on Iran without further military escalation, which could gradually weaken its economy and force it to back down, or a renewed round of attacks.
Lakrafi expressed her belief that the economic pressures facing Iran could intensify and place additional burdens on its leadership, while maintaining that France and its Gulf allies are capable of withstanding the current challenges.
Regarding the crisis's impact on the global economy, she said she had observed international shipping traffic, particularly oil tankers, returning in recent days to prewar levels.
This, she said, gave her reason to believe that "bottlenecks and economic difficulties could gradually ease, although it will take some time."
She did not rule out the possibility that these developments could encourage more countries, including Pakistan and Türkiye, to play a greater role in efforts to overcome the crisis, particularly because disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and other vital waterways affect the entire global economy.
On the future of the confrontation with the Houthis, Lakrafi acknowledged the difficulty of predicting how events would unfold.
She emphasized that efforts are continuing within the French Parliament, the European Parliament and international parliamentary organizations to promote peaceful solutions and strengthen international diplomacy, particularly through the United Nations, to condemn Houthi actions.
She explained that these efforts include examining all possible means of exerting pressure on the Houthis, including "the possibility of imposing sanctions that would prompt them and Iran to abandon practices threatening maritime security."
She added that the initiatives also involve identifying international partners capable of supporting these efforts, including the United States.
Expanding participation among countries and parliaments, she said, would improve the prospects of persuading additional partners to join, noting that past experience has demonstrated that this is achievable.
Lakrafi confirmed that diplomatic contacts and initiatives are underway to support Saudi Arabia and condemn Houthi actions as part of continuing parliamentary and international efforts to achieve a peaceful and lasting settlement to the Yemeni crisis.
On maritime security, the French lawmaker stressed that "maritime straits are shared international waterways. They do not belong to Iran or the Houthis but serve the entire world, and they must remain open to international navigation without restrictions or transit fees that obstruct freedom of passage."
She noted that the global economy "is directly affected by threats to these waterways, making it essential to coordinate international efforts to pressure the Houthis, bring them to the negotiating table and reach a peaceful and lasting resolution to the crisis."
Lakrafi said France is working on maritime security in cooperation with the European Union and the UN Security Council to find solutions to the crisis.
She stressed that international cooperation and diplomacy remain essential to overcoming the current challenges, despite the difficulty of predicting how the conflict will develop.
