RFL/RE – Iran has slammed a U.S. call for OPEC to increase production, as ministers from the oil cartel traveled to Austria for their annual meeting.
Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh on June 19 said President Donald Trump’s comments had cast doubt on the prospect of a new deal to stabilize oil prices.
The issue “has been politicized by President Trump,” he was quoted as saying.
“OPEC is not an organization to receive the instruction from President Trump and follow it,” he said.
Trump has called on OPEC to incease production, sending out tweets this month, and in April, saying that the cartel instead was allowing prices to rise.
The ministers will also be meeting with Russia, a non-OPEC country that since has cooperated with the cartel to limit production.
Ahead of the meeting, observers had predicted the group to consider an increase in production of about 1 million barrels a day. That would end the output cut the group agreed to two years ago.
Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP