The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was created in 1960 at a conference in Baghdad by five oil producing countries: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Iran, and Kuwait. OPEC's mission is to coordinate policies among oil producing countries to secure a steady income for its members and a stable supply of oil to consumers. It established its headquarters in Vienna, Austria in 1965. In the 1970s, OPEC gained influence and raised oil prices during the 1973 oil crisis in response to the U.S. aid to Israel. It has since grown to include 12 member countries working to balance oil supply and demand globally.