With just one month until Opec meets in Vienna on 6 December, Iran launched a stinging attack on the group’s de facto leadership in an open letter. In reality however, the positions of Iran and Opec kingpin Saudi Arabia are closer than it may seem.

Writing to Mohammad Barkindo, the Opec Secretary General, on 6 November, Iran’s oil minister Bijan Zanganeh slammed the performance of the two organizations responsible for monitoring the Opec+ agreement – the JMMC and JTC. Accusing them of deviating from their objectives, he said “some Opec members of these two committees have clearly taken side with the US in imposing its unilateral and unlawful sanctions against I.R. Iran.” (CONTINUED - 960 WORDS)