French Navy: Warship escorted 10 vessels through Bab el-Mandeb Strait

The French army spokesperson said on Thursday that a French warship within the European Union's mission in the Red Sea accompanied about ten ships through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait during the past week.

Spokesperson Xavier Rivall stated that France is still holding discussions with its Saudi partners to determine the requirements for a military mission to secure energy infrastructure.

Earlier, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called before the UN General Assembly for the protection of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, amid the war in the Middle East and the Houthi advance in Yemen, according to "AFP".

Bin Farhan said: "Protecting international navigation and sustaining global supply chains is a shared responsibility requiring serious international cooperation to prevent risks to the global economy that affect the entire world... The Kingdom emphasizes in this framework... protecting freedom of navigation in all international waterways, foremost among them the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden."

Bin Farhan criticized the "absence of the international community" from assuming its responsibilities regarding the security of the Gulf.

In his speech, he condemned the "brutal Iranian attacks" on Saudi Arabia and Gulf states during the war, stressing Riyadh's right "to protect its security and sovereignty." He criticized the "absence of the international community from assuming its responsibilities in facing everything that threatens international peace and security," emphasizing that "the security of the Arabian Gulf region is an integral part of the security of the region and the world."