Saudi-Iran tensions threaten oil deal

Doha

SAUDI Arabia demanded on Sunday that Iran join a global deal on freezing oil output, jeopardising an agreement between Opec (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and non-Opec producers that was supposed to help ease a glut and prop up the price of crude.

Some 18 Opec and non-Opec countries, including Russia, had been due to meet on Sunday morning in the Qatari capital of Doha and rubber-stamp a deal - in the making since February - to freeze output at January levels until October 2016.

But the meeting was delayed after Opec's de facto leader Saudi Arabia told participants it wanted all Opec members to take part in the freeze, according to Opec sources.

Riyadh had earlier insisted on excluding Iran from the talks because Teheran had refused to stabilise production, seeking to regain market share after the lifting of Western sanction…