US President Biden has warned that Saudi Arabia will face consequences for going against Washington with cuts to oil production last week, deepening the rift between the leaders and nations. Biden conducted a sometimes rambling interview with CNN on Tuesday, increasing talks of his cognitive decline in the process, stating that “When the House and Senate get back, there’s going to be some consequences.”
Crown Prince MBS led the Opec+ cartel last week in reducing oil production by 2million barrels per day, which immediately caused oil prices to spike, the pain of which is now being felt at the pump in the US. This is a sensitive time for Biden, with the midterm elections approaching, high gasoline prices will hurt the Democrats.
Biden firmly believes Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has intentionally acted against US interests, siding with Russia at a time when he hoped the Saudi ally would “have his back”. Slashing oil production to bolster prices is the latest in a series of bold moves on the part of MBS. The Prince has shown a willingness during his tenure at the top to stand up to the US, in a way no other Saudi leader has yet dared to do.
