London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 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
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
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
×