OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo (L) and Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman (R) attend an Opec-JMMC meeting in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on September 12, 2019.
KARIM SAHIB | AFP | Getty Images
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said Monday that President Donald Trump should be able to do as he chooses when it comes to international security.
Speaking during a panel session at the International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz said: “The president of the United States is the president of the United States, he can do whatever he wishes.”
He’s “certainly” not accountable to me or “anyone in this room,” he added.
Abdulaziz’s comments come as energy market participants continue to closely monitor heightened tensions in the Middle East.
The U.S. killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani earlier this month, triggering a dramatic escalation that many feared could result in a widening regional conflict.
Iran, an arch-rival of Saudi Arabia in the region, responded to the U.S. attack by launching missiles at two military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq.
The situation remains tense, but both sides have sought to back off from intensifying the conflict over recent days.
“As tensions remain high in our region, the kingdom will continue to do all it can do to ensure stable oil markets,” Abdulaziz said.
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