Iran: US seeking to politicize OPEC's decisions

Iran's OPEC Governor Hossein Kazempour Ardabili blasted the US for trying to politicize the decisions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

"The US administration is seeking to politicize the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)," Kazempour Ardabili said.

"The Trump administration is pushing politics into the OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), and is aiming at spreading the members and securing their own interests by getting lower prices and so forth," Kazempour Ardabili said.

Kazempour Ardabili's remarks came after Trump said that the oil price is high and OPEC should decrease it.

US president has also called for increasing oil production to compensate the possible reduction in production of Iran, Libya and Venezuela in international markets.

"I think what they are doing actually is (leading to) higher prices because the fundamentals even do not warrant this level of prices," Kazempour Ardabili said.

"I am telling him (Trump), keep quiet, do not do any tweets, and then you will be better off in the prices," he added.

Iran's OPEC Governor is in Algeria to participate in the 10th meeting of Joint OPEC/Non-OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC). Representatives from some 24 countries, including Iran, are present in the Committee session which is chaired by Saudi Arabia. Kazempour Ardabili leads the Iranian delegation to the Committee.

EA