London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Biden ‘reviewing’ ties with Saudi Arabia amid anger over oil cuts

Biden ‘reviewing’ ties with Saudi Arabia amid anger over oil cuts

Riyadh says oil production curbs are ‘purely economic’ as critics in Washington accuse it of empowering Moscow.

The Biden administration has said it will “re-evaluate” ties with Saudi Arabia as United States lawmakers grow increasingly critical of the Gulf kingdom following a decision by a group of major oil producers, including Riyadh, to cut petroleum output.

US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday that the US is “reviewing” its relationship with Saudi Arabia in consultation with lawmakers in Washington and allies abroad.

“We are reviewing where we are; we’ll be watching very closely, talking to partners and stakeholders,” Price told reporters.

He added that President Joe Biden had previously spoken of the need to “recalibrate” ties with Saudi Arabia to better serve the US – a position that Price said was underscored by the recently announced oil cuts.

“Our guiding principle will be to see to it that we have a relationship that serves our interests. This is not a bilateral relationship that has always served our interests,” Price said.

OPEC+, which brings together the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers, namely Russia, announced the curbs last week in a move that will likely push up petrol prices for US consumers ahead of crucial midterm elections.




OPEC’s critics have argued that the production curbs raise oil prices globally, which generates more revenue for Russia to continue to fund its war in Ukraine despite Western sanctions on its economy.

On Tuesday, Price accused OPEC of supporting the war in Ukraine “against the interests of the American people”.

Saudi Arabia has stressed that the October 5 decision to reduce production by two million barrels per day is aimed at stablising the oil market – not driving up prices – amid interest rates hikes by central banks and the prospects of a global recession.

Some of Saudi Arabia’s supporters also have argued that the security relationship between Washington and Riyadh is mutually beneficial — not a favour from the US.

Nevertheless, leading US Democrats have slammed OPEC+ members over the decision, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), US allies and key players in the group.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also told CNN earlier in the day that Biden is “willing” to reassess ties with Riyadh.

“And certainly in light of the OPEC decision, I think that’s where he is, and he’s willing to work with Congress to think through what that relationship ought to look like going forward,” Kirby said.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told Al Arabiya on Tuesday that the decision by OPEC+ was a “purely economic” measure taken with the unanimous agreement of the group’s members.

Bin Farhan also lauded ties between the US and Saudi Arabia as “strategic”.

“Military cooperation between Riyadh and Washington serves the interests of both countries and has contributed to stability in the region,” he said, as reported on the news outlet’s Arabic website.




But in Washington, many lawmakers have been questioning the alliance with Riyadh.

On Monday, the chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, called for freezing arms sales to Saudi Arabia. “I will not greenlight any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine. Enough is enough,” he said in a statement.

Separately, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday announced a bill to halt US arms sales to the kingdom for one year over the oil cuts, which he called a “deeply offensive, destructive blunder” that aids Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The tensions between Saudi Arabia and the US come three months after Biden visited Saudi Arabia and met with its top leaders, including powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Last week, the White House said it was disappointed by the oil cuts, adding that Biden would “consult with Congress on additional tools and authorities to reduce OPEC’s control over energy prices”.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
×