One of the key reasons for ties between Saudi Arabia and the US witnessing a downward slope, in the initial months, after Joe Biden took over as US President was his focus on revival of the JCPOA 2015/Iran nuclear deal, and his cold shouldering of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman MBS. In the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war however, Biden has sought to improve ties with Saudi Arabia, primarily with an eye to get the Saudis to increase oil production, so that oil prices in the US can be kept in check — though the changing geopolitical equations within the Middle East are also responsible for the same. During his Middle East trip in July 2022 — Biden included Saudi Arabia in his itinerary. Biden was unable, however, to get Saudi Arabia-led OPEC to increase oil production. The decision by OPEC+ to cut oil production in November 2022 only exacerbated tensions between Saudi Arabia and US.