U.S. president Donald Trump tweeted that OPEC needs to keep crude prices lower because of the military protection the U.S. provides for the region.
"We protect the countries of the Middle East, they would not be safe for very long without us, and yet they continue to push for higher and higher oil prices! We will remember. The Opec monopoly must get prices down now!" Trump said in the message.
The U.S. president is keen to ensure there is no impact on domestic fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections, Financial Times reported.
Futures prices for WTI crude, the U.S. benchmark, dipped slightly following the tweet and were lower by 0.2% on the day. On Wednesday, WTI climbed back above $70 a barrel.
