Airlines steered clear of much of the Middle East on Friday after Israeli attacks on Iranian sites forced carriers to cancel or divert thousands of flights in the latest upheaval to travel in the region.

Market reactions to Israel’s attack on Iran weren’t all that surprising Friday – with one key exception. That aberration signals where traders’ real fears seem to lie. Stocks fell, as one would expect,

Global air traffic has been disrupted following Israel’s strikes on Iran Friday, with several major airlines suspending flights to and from locations in the Middle East and rerouting their planes to avoid much of the region’s airspace.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had to change his trip in the Middle East, dropping a stop in Israel, after the country launched a barrage of strikes across Iran earlier on Friday.

Israel has launched a wave of strikes on Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, military sites, and key officials in what it said is the start of a multiday operation named "Operation Rising Lion". It is a critical moment for the Middle East,

President Donald Trump warned Thursday of the possibility of “massive conflict” in the Middle East that could take place “soon.”

Investors' worst-case scenario of a full-blown Middle East conflict is coming into view, unleashing a flood of capital out of risk assets and into classic safe-havens, topped once more by the dollar.

The strike comes after President Donald Trump said the U.S. was "fairly close" to reaching a nuclear deal with Iran.

The United States is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to Israel’s strikes on Iran and a possible retaliatory

A paratrooper carries the Iranian flag over the shrine of Iran's late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during the National Army Day parade ceremony in Tehran, Iran, April 18, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Gold prices climbed on Friday to their highest point in more than a month, on track for a weekly gain, as investors sought safe-haven assets after Israel's strike on Iran heightened Middle East tensions.