On 5 October, the Saudi- and Russian-led OPEC Plus cartel announced an oil production cut of two million barrels a day following a fall in oil prices from $120 to $80 since early June. Widespread outrage in Washington has resulted, with US officials seeing the move’s timing as particularly damaging. With America’s mid-term elections coming up next month, the war in Ukraine raging on, and the global economy facing major challenges, the Biden administration worries greatly about the ramifications of the cartel’s production cut. Mindful of the White House’s sustained efforts to convince the Saudi…