U.S.-Saudi ties have been fraught for years, said Brian Katulis, senior fellow and vice president of policy at the Middle East Institute, and Riyadh's support for OPEC+ production cuts sends a negative signal about its willingness to support the broader cause of stability and prosperity in the world.
"It moves the kingdom closer to Russia's camp at a time when Russia is aligned with Saudi Arabia's top adversary, Iran," Katulis told VOA. "The deep production cut has surprised many, and it is being interpreted as an assertive power play in global energy markets. A move like this can produce significant blowback in America, Europe and parts of Asia against Saudi Arabia at a time when many of these countries have strong doubts and concerns about the kingdom."