The Biden administration is considering “punitive measures” against Saudi Arabia for its OPEC+ decision to cut oil output by 2 million barrels per day (bpd), according to NBC news.
The report published on 29 October, cites two US officials who claim that the Biden administration considers “slow-rolling” military aid to Saudi Arabia, including the export of US Patriot missiles.
According to the report, not all military officials agree with the move, however, some demand that the military relationship between the two countries is kept separate from recent disagreements, arguing that it could put US troops and interests under threat.
Saudi Arabia has recently purchased 300 Patriot missiles used for air and missile defense capabilities, necessary for its protection against the missiles and drones used by the Ansarallah resistance movement in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia and countries that have joined the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen have become repeated targets, with Ansarallah fighters striking vital infrastructures such as oil fields and airports.
However, the report also states that while many options are on the table, much depends on the OPEC meeting in December; should Saudi Arabia increase oil production by then, then the US is unlikely to take any steps against it, according to the sources familiar with the matter.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused OPEC+ on 5 October of “aligning with Russia,” and claimed their decision “is shortsighted while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of [Russia’s] invasion of Ukraine,” in reference to the crisis caused by western sanctions imposed on Russia’s energy sector and attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
In May of this year, the US Senate approved the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) Act, which could open OPEC member states and their partners to antitrust lawsuits for “orchestrating supply cuts that raise global crude prices.”
The bipartisan legislation would modify US antitrust law to revoke the sovereign immunity that protects sovereign states from lawsuits. This, in turn, would give the US attorney general the ability to sue OPEC+ members like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, or Russia in federal court.