Name: Saudi Arabia Rejects White House Criticism of Oil Output Cuts, Says US Asked for Delay Until Midterms
Uploaded: 2025-01-04T20:43:28.000Z
Description: The Saudi Arabian government on Wednesday night rejected White House criticism over a decision by a cartel of key oil-producing countries to cut production of the much-needed resource and confirmed the Biden administration requested it delay until after the U.S. midterm elections.

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

NTD Plus

News

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

Pentagon Scraps Deployment of 4,000 Troops to Poland

9/11 Memorial and Museum Adds 7th Moment of Silence

AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Launch Joint Venture to Tackle Dead Zones

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

Trump Committed to US Defense, Prosperity, Amid China Talks: Expert

Jerome Powell Ends Tenure as Fed Chair

US Government Sues Chick-fil-A Over Religious Rights

California Gubernatorial Candidates Make Closing Pitches to Voters 

House Passes 1st Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations Bill

Jason Blair is a national correspondent for NTD News based in California. 

Jason Blair

Federal Judge Partly Blocks Texas Immigration Law

Trump Announces National Garden of American Heroes Plans

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 15)

Paul Greaney is an NTD news anchor and producer. Since joining the company in 2018, he has anchored the station’s flagship Evening News broadcast, launched the NTD Business show, and produced documentary reports on pointed issues. 

The highlight of Paul’s time in the field was his coverage of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Paul Greaney

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 14)

Kevin Hogan is an NTD News data reporter and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Kevin covers breaking news, as well as U.S. and global current events. He conveys the news through data visualizations and investigates pressing issues.

Kevin Hogan

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 11)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 7)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 6)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 5)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (May 4)

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

Health News

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

The Saudi Arabian government on Wednesday night rejected White House criticism over a decision by a cartel of key oil-producing countries to cut production of the much-needed resource and confirmed the Biden administration requested it delay until after the U.S. midterm elections.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also accused the U.S. government of attempting to "distort" the facts about the kingdom's position on the Russia-Ukraine war.

On Wednesday, White House national security adviser Ned Price denied reports that Biden administration officials had requested the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) delay its decision to cut oil production until after the midterms.

"I certainly can’t confirm that report. What I can confirm is that we conveyed a consistent message to the Saudis: energy supply needs to meet energy demand. We have made the point repeatedly that we have a multiplicity of interests with Saudi Arabia; energy is one of them," Price <a href="https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-october-12-2022/">said</a> at a State Department press briefing.

"And in the context of those discussions regarding energy, we have had senior members of the administration travel to Saudi Arabia in recent months. This was not—this engagement did not take place solely in the context of October 2022 or September 2022."

But the Saudi foreign minister's <a href="https://twitter.com/KSAmofaEN/status/1580342638816808960?s=20&t=jhcOyD6zuz9VUtfRjwdMqw">statement</a>, released hours later, confirmed that "the Government of the Kingdom clarified through its continuous consultation with the U.S. Administration that all economic analyses indicate that postponing the OPEC+ decision for a month, according to what has been suggested, would have had negative economic consequences."

An oil pumpjack works in the Permian Basin oil field in Stanton, Texas on March 12, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

After OPEC+ on Oct. 5 decided to slash oil output by 2 million barrels per day, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One that it was a "mistake" and accused the group of "aligning with Russia."

Russia is one of the OPEC+ cartel's 13 key members, along with Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Venezuela, and more.

Responding to the criticism, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister insisted OPEC's decision was "purely" about maintaining a balance of supply and demand and limiting volatility in the oil markets.

"The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would first like to express its total rejection of these statements that are not based on facts, and which are based on portraying the OPEC+ decision out of its purely economic context," bin Farhan Al Saud said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/KSAmofaEN/status/1580342638816808960?s=20&t=jhcOyD6zuz9VUtfRjwdMqw">statement</a>.
<h2>White House 'Attempts to Distort Facts' 'Are Unfortunate'</h2>
Bin Farhan Al Saud said Saudi Arabia takes a "principled position" with respect to the Russia-Ukraine war and described the attempts of White House officials "to distort the facts" as "unfortunate" but ultimately unpersuasive.

Saudi Arabia, the foreign minister said, supports U.N. resolutions regarding the Russia-Ukraine war "based on the Kingdom's position on the importance for all countries to adhere to the United Nations Charter, principles of international law, and the kingdom's rejection of any infringement on the sovereignty of countries over their territories."

"The Kingdom stresses that while it strives to preserve the strength of its relations with all friendly countries, it affirms its rejection of any dictates, actions, or efforts to distort its noble objectives to protect the global economy from oil market volatility," bin Farhan Al Saud said.

Bin Farhan Al Saud added that the kingdom views its relationship with the United States "as a strategic one" beneficial to both, and in what was perhaps a diplomatic hint, stressed the importance of "building on the solid pillars" of the relationship.

"The Kingdom also stresses the importance of building on the solid pillars upon which the Saudi-U.S. relationship had stood over the past eight decades," he said. "These pillars include mutual respect, enhancing common interests, actively contributing to preserve regional and international peace and security, countering terrorism and extremism, and achieving prosperity for the peoples of the region."
<h2>Midterms Pressure</h2>
The Saudi official's statement on the heels of OPEC's decision deals a second blow to President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats ahead of the midterms.

The Biden administration had for months tried to lobby Saudi Arabia to produce more oil, not less, with Biden even visiting the kingdom in July.

OPEC’s decision to reduce oil production puts pressure on the Biden administration, which has significantly dipped into the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) for several months in an effort to keep gas prices down for Americans, citing the Russia-Ukraine war for higher prices.

The cartel's decision to cut oil production also signifies Biden’s failure to influence Saudi Arabia during the July visit to the kingdom to ask for increased oil production amid historically high U.S. gas prices.

Since Biden took office in January 2021, Republicans and oil industry officials have lambasted the administration for ending construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, suspending drilling leases, and favoring electric vehicles.

Officials in his administration have also been accused of being out of touch with ordinary Americans’ concerns while touting electric cars in the face of record-high gas prices earlier this year.

The Epoch Times asked the White House for comment.

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/saudi-arabia-rejects-white-house-criticism-of-oil-output-cuts-says-us-asked-for-delay-until-midterms_4793122.html">The Epoch Times</a></em>

saudi

Videos

Business News

Politics

04_Top Stories

OPEC

cuts

Latest Clips

midterms

biden

Output

admin

Caden Pearson is a reporter covering U.S. and world news.

Caden Pearson

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.