US President Donald Trump has requested that the Saudi Royal Family lower oil production immediately. The President spoke via phone to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman regarding the current oil crisis, adding a caveat to his request, that unless the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) begin cutting oil production, he would be not veto lawmakers potentially legislating the withdrawal U.S. troops from the Kingdom.
The US has recently increased its military presence in Saudi Arabia, providing an additional 3000 troops at the end of 2019. The increased security backing for the Kingdom came following a series of strikes from the Houthi Militia in Yemen on oil facilities and airports.
The Coronavirus pandemic has ravaged global oil consumption and caused prices to plummet, leaving many oil dependant nations struggling. Members of the OPEC+ consortium, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, have agreed to cut oil production by nearly 10 million barrels per day, in a deal that is scheduled to begin today on May 1st. April saw an all time high in Saudi oil production, with a record 11 million barrels per day produced.
