As OPEC+ Cuts Oil Output, US Congressman Ro Khanna Calls Saudi Arabia A 'Third-Rate Power'

OPEC+ has decided to cut oil output by 1 million barrels per day, in an attempt to ensure that the price of oil doesn't fall too much.

As energy markets are interlinked, price of oil is going up in US, again, just as the mid-terms are approaching.

US Congressman Ro Khanna is calling on the White House to take retaliatory steps against Saudi Arabia.

In an interview to CNN, the congressman said that, "This is beyond the pale. They are actively fleecing the American people and destabilising the economy. That’s just outrageous. Who do they think they are?”

Few months ago, US President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia. It was a rather controversial visit as many in Biden's party didn't want him to go but he went in the name of 'realism' in foreign policy.

Now he is being criticised that his trip and fist bump with the Crown Prince didn't achieve anything. Only the Saudis gained from it as they used it as an opportunity to signal the normalisation of ties between US and Saudi Arabia, since Kashoggi's killing.

“It’s outrageous. The Saudis need to be dealt with harshly. They are a third-rate power. We are the most powerful country in the world. I don’t know why we kowtow to them.

They are not our allies. They are hurting the American people. And we need to be tough with them. The president needs to make it clear we will cut off their supply. We could ground their air force in a day," the congressman added.

The congressman is from California and energy prices are surging in California. A gallon now costs an average of $6.38 in the state.

Ro Khanna is urging president Biden to follow through on his promise of making Saudi Arabia a 'pariah state'.

As Khanna's tweet indicates, he believes that the US has significant amount of leverage on Saudi Arabia which it should use to make Saudi Arabia behave the way US wants it to behave.

His argument is that the US is no longer dependent on Saudi Arabia like it was back in the 70s.

Few months ago, when the Saudi crown prince gave an interview to the Atlantic he had indicated that Riyadh may tilt towards China if America doesn't normalise its diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia.

Also Read: Saudi-Russia Led OPEC+ To Cut Oil Production, Pump Up Prices