Saudi Arabia looking into possible effects of OPEC collapse: Reports

Agencies

November 9, 2018

Moscow, Nov 9: Saudi Arabia’s state-funded think tank is looking into potential effects of the dissolution of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) amid US pressure over oil prices and investments withdrawal from Saudi Arabia in the wake of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, media reported.

The study by the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) was part of a wider paradigm of rethinking the role of the cartel by Saudi senior government officials, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

However, the research does not reflect Riyadh’s willingness to leave the organization in the near future, according to the outlet, citing people familiar with the matter. Instead, the study was viewed by the Saudi government officials as an exercise on how markets might react to the fall in oil demand which might result in the collapse of OPEC, the newspaper added.

Saudi officials consider the research a high-priority project, according to the outlet.

“The kingdom knows demand for oil won’t last forever . So you need to think past OPEC . You also have a NOPEC act being considered [in the United States],” a senior adviser familiar with the project told The Wall Street Journal referring to a draft bill aiming to designate OPEC as an illegal organization, which was introduced by US lawmakers who oppose the cartel.

Adam Sieminski, the KAPSARC’s president, told the outlet that the research was based on the previous study suggesting that the absence of measures on the part of OPEC to stabilize oil markets would negatively impact the global economy. Sieminski noted that the research had not been launched in relation to US President Donald Trump’s criticism of the cartel.

However, the senior adviser suggested that the study provided an opportunity to take the US statements into consideration.

The newspaper noted that the Saudi government spokesperson and the country’s Energy Ministry had not answered to the requests for comment.

Trump has recently criticized OPEC, noting its monopoly over high oil prices. The president also called on Riyadh to boost oil production in a move to squeeze the Iranian oil from the market.

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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