Iran will press OPEC to agree a cut in production in order to raise global crude prices when it meets this month, a position that sets it in opposition to other delegates from the Persian Gulf region who don't believe such a move is necessary.

Present global crude prices are below what Iran considers reasonable and wants the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to lower its collective 30-million-barrel-a-day production ceiling when it meets on May 31, Rostam Ghasemi, the country's oil minister, said in remarks published by the semi-official Mehr news agency Monday.

The oil price, "doesn't meet our expectations...the ideal and reasonable range is above $100 a barrel," Mr. Ghasemi said, without specifying the exact price level Tehran would prefer or how big the cut should be.

The front-month contract for global oil benchmark Brent crude on London 's ICE futures exchange was down 65 cents to $103.26 a barrel Monday morning. Oil prices have rebounded since falling last month to their lowest level in nine months.

Iran has been one of the most consistent voices at OPEC's biannual meetings pushing for lower production to raise global oil prices in recent years. It is suffering under the heavy weight of Western sanctions targeting its nuclear program, which have pushed its oil exports to a 26-year low and cost it billions of dollars in revenue, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Other states in the Persian Gulf region don't face restrictions on their exports and have recently said they believe current oil prices are fair.

"The current levels are reasonable for everyone. The market may be oversupplied by around 500,000 barrels a day at best, which does not really call for a cut," said one Gulf OPEC delegate.

OPEC will likely agree to maintain its current production ceiling at the next meeting, the delegate said.

OPEC's current oil producing is broadly in line with its ceiling of 30 million barrels a day. The group sets this ceiling twice a year, usually in a meeting at its Vienna headquarters.

Another Gulf delegate said there was no need for OPEC to cut output ceiling now as the excess capacity is small.

Despite calling for the output cut, Mr. Ghasemi said he doesn't see the oil market as being in a very bad situation.

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