Why Saudi Arabia's rivalry with Iran could keep oil prices down for years

Why Saudi Arabia's rivalry with Iran could keep oil prices down for years
(Image credit: Getty/Kevork Djansezian)

OPEC, the world's leading group of oil exporters, this week declined to slash production, disappointing countries, such as Iran, that would like to see oil prices climb amidst a worldwide glut of oil and natural gas. The group's decision to maintain its level of output was led by Saudi Arabia, which somewhat mysteriously is keen to keep prices low.

Liam Denning at The Wall Street Journal writes that Saudi Arabia's move may be part of its ongoing rivalry with Iran over influence in the Middle East:

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Ryu Spaeth

Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.