Iran OPEC Representative Hossein Kazempour said Sun. that Donald Trump`s tweeting habits are lifting oil prices. and the US president should stop posting on social media to alleviate the spike in prices.
The Iranian representative to OPEC made the remark in an interview with CNBC at the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) in Algiers on Sunday.
`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.` he added.
`I think what they are doing actually is (leading to) higher prices because the fundamentals even do not warrant this level of prices.` Kazempour said.
`If they kept quiet. the prices would be cheaper. I am confident about that.` he added. `I am telling him (Trump). keep quiet. do not do any tweets. and then you will be better off in the prices.`
Kazempour said that he viewed Washington`s increased political pressure on Iran and OPEC `something which cannot be accepted.`
`I think first of all they are not attempting to break Iran. they are trying to change Iranian behavior on issues which are not related to oil.` Kazempour said.
`Leveraging oil against the political will of the OPEC members here. as well as individuals. is something which cannot be accepted. Not by Iran only. but also by others.` he stressed.