Biden is upset over the oil price cutbacks and is “reviewing” relations with Saudi Arabia

• The Biden administration has said that it will “re-evaluate” relations with Saudi Arabia.
• The move comes in light of growing criticism from US politicians.
• Washington lawmakers and international allies are working on the matter.

The Biden administration has said that it will “re-evaluate” relations with Saudi Arabia in light of growing criticism from US politicians of the Gulf state in response to a decision by a number of significant oil exporters, including Riyadh, to reduce petroleum output.

Ned Price, a spokesman for the US Department of State, stated on Tuesday that the US is “reviewing” its relationship with Saudi Arabia in collaboration with Washington lawmakers and international allies.

Price told reporters, “We are analyzing where we are; we’ll be observing very closely, speaking to partners and stakeholders.

Price said that President Joe Biden has previously discussed the need to “recalibrate” connections with Saudi Arabia in order to better serve the US and that the recently announced oil cuts had only served to support that view.

“We shall make sure that our partnership serves our interests as our guiding philosophy. Our interests have not always been served by this bilateral partnership, Price remarked.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers, including Russia, announced the limitations last week. This action is anticipated to increase the price of gasoline for US customers before the pivotal midterm elections.

Critics of OPEC contend that by limiting oil supply, the world market will see higher oil prices, increasing Russia’s ability to continue funding its conflict in Ukraine despite economic sanctions from the West.

Price charged OPEC on Tuesday with aiding the conflict in Ukraine “against the interests of the American people.”

Saudi Arabia has emphasized that the decision to cut production by two million barrels per day on October 5 is intended to stabilize the oil market, not to raise prices, in the face of central banks raising interest rates and the potential for a worldwide recession.

Others who support Saudi Arabia have asserted that the US is not favoring Riyadh in any way by maintaining its security partnership with Washington.

Leading US Democrats, however, have criticized the decision, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which are both US allies and significant OPEC+ members.

John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, also told CNN earlier in the day that Biden is “open” to reviewing relations with Riyadh.

And I think that’s where he is, Kirby said, “particularly in light of the OPEC decision, and he’s eager to work with Congress to think through what that relationship needs to look like moving ahead.”

Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the group’s foreign minister, told Al Arabiya that the decision by OPEC+ was a “purely economic” step adopted with the support of all members.

Additionally, Bin Farhan praised US-Saudi Arabia relations as being “strategic.”

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