Biden warns S Arabia of ‘consequences’ after Opec+ move to cut production

The US accused Riyadh of kowtowing to Russia.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gave no timeline for any possible action but made it clear the United States would be watching the situation closely “over the coming weeks and months”.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Menendez had said the US must immediately freeze all cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including arms sales.

Opec Plus, which also groups Russia, announced plans for an oil production cut, ignoring lobbying by US officials against such a move, especially amid an increase in oil prices, which has hit people hard.

US officials had earlier tried to persuade Saudi Arabia not to go in for the production cut, but de factor ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was reportedly not convinced.

Bin Salman and Biden had clashed when the latter visited Jeddah in July and brought up the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, according to a source.

The prince had denied ordering the killing but reportedly acknowledged it took place under his watch. Biden said in July he told the prince he thought he was responsible.

White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said Biden would work with Congress “to think through what that relationship [with Saudi Arabia] ought to look like going forward”.

Kirby added: “And I think he’s going to be willing to start to have those conversations right away. I don’t think this is anything that’s going to have to wait or should wait, quite frankly, for much longer.”

Source: Reuters