Trump, Saudi crown prince talk amid oil price war

By Vakkas Dogantekin

ANKARA (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman on Monday amid a global oil price war started by the oil-rich Kingdom last weekend.

"The President and the Crown Prince discussed global energy markets and other critical regional and bilateral issues," tweeted White House deputy spokesman Judd Deere.

The crude oil price war started by world's top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, marking the steepest one-day decline since the Gulf War of 1991, has sent shockwaves through markets.

The "aggressive move" by Kingdom's de facto ruler bin Salman, also known as MBS, aims to punish Russia's independent oil production plans regardless of the OPEC road map, according to Britain's Financial Times.

Trump's telephone call with MBS also came amid reports of a deep purge in the Saudi royal family.

Saudi authorities detained three royal family members, including a brother of the king and a former crown prince, for an alleged coup attempt, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al Saud, a brother of King Salman, and former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz al Saud, the king’s nephew, stand accused of treason, according to the report.