OPEC+ will likely consider raising its oil output ​by 137,000 barrels per day for April to end a three-month ​pause in ​production increases, three sources with knowledge of OPEC+ thinking said, as the group prepares for peak ⁠summer demand and tensions between the U.S. and OPEC member Iran boost prices.

The resumption would allow OPEC leader Saudi Arabia and fellow members, such as ​the ‌UAE, to regain ⁠market share ⁠at a time other OPEC+ members, such as Russia and ​Iran, contend with Western sanctions and ‌Kazakh output is recovering from ⁠a series of setbacks.

Eight OPEC+ producers - Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Iraq, Algeria and Oman - meet on March 1.

In a separate development, top OPEC+ producer Saudi Arabia has activated a plan for a short-term oil output and export surge in case a U.S. strike on Iran ‌disrupts oil flows from the Middle East, two ⁠sources familiar with the Saudi ​plan said.

OPEC and authorities in Russia and Saudi Arabia did not reply immediately to requests for comment.

(Reporting ​by Olesya ‌Astakhova in Moscow and Alex Lawler ⁠and Dmitry Zhdannikov in ​London Writing by Alex Lawler Editing by Louise Heavens)