I posted this as a reply to another post, but decided to post to all for thoughts. What do others think is going on?
Over the past few days the entirety of the world’s media / financial sector have been so focused on Trump’s tariffs that what’s happening with OPEC seems to be being overlooked, either by intent or blinkers. Oil prices have slumped as production has suddenly increased, one report sighted that Saudi, angered by Azerbaijan’s decision to increase production outside OPEC, simply decided to follow suit. That to me sounds a peculiar decision by the Saudis who have pretty much been the force behind controls.
I wonder how much pressure the US has been putting on the oil producers to increase output and lower prices? So my two cents worth trying to consider the logic; one - it could be to force transit and production costs down to balance market shock inflationary p ...
ressures (though a drop in oil prices rarely makes it way to consumer prices), two - an attack on Iran will result in a catastrophic rise in the price per barrel so is Trump gambling on a total short term blitz, two to four weeks of hellfire to reduce Iran to rubble, that the oil hit would be short term, going from say 55 dollars a barrel to 100 dollars, for the short term is manageable but 90 dollars a barrel to 150 isn’t. If the war drums are just noise then the first is more likely and certainly they give OPEC +, which includes Russia, a bargaining chip in peace negotiations vis a vis Ukraine and the Middle East. You scratch my back I’ll scratch yours diplomacy. As for the second, which is so macabre in their machinations that I can’t believe my own logic for thinking that’s one of the pieces they’d orchestrate to carry out such brutal insanity. Of course I’m the first to admit I could be a mile off but I don’t believe in coincidences.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/2025/04/03/oil-price-opec-crude-wti/ 
