Iraq was already facing a crisis prior to the Israeli airstrikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliation. In May, the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq sent a delegation to Washington to sign energy deals that could be worth up to $110 billion with HKN Energy and WesternZagros.

Rising tensions with Iran and fears of an Israeli strike prompted the U.S. to move some of its nonmilitary personnel out of the region.

Explosions were heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, as Israel launched a preemptive strike. Israel is under a state of emergency, as Iran retaliated Friday night with missile attacks.

Iran launched retaliatory strikes, which saw air sirens wail across the Tel Aviv region on Friday night as smoke rose above the Israeli capital.

Concern about a strike and the prospect of retaliation led the United States to withdraw diplomats from Iraq and authorize the voluntary departure of U.S. military family members from the Middle East.

A Connecticut senator traveling in the Middle East this week was stuck in Iraq after Israel launched an attack on Israel Thursday, heightening tensions in the area.

Israeli, Iranian, and most of Iraqi airspace remains closed amid a rapid escalation in tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv, which began with an Israeli missile attack on multiple targets in Iran on June 13. Iran's retaliatory attacks on Israel prompted the latter's carriers to reposition their aircraft abroad for safety.

For much of the 20th century, the US and Iran maintained friendly relations. During the Cold War, Washington depended on the Shah of Iran to counter Soviet influence in the oil-rich Middle East.

In response to escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, Pakistan has successfully evacuated 450 pilgrims from Iran, with additional evacuations planned from both Iran and Iraq in the coming days.The move follows Israel's airstrikes on Iranian targets on Friday,

Anger is mixed with worry as Iranians in the capital of Tehran have woken up to images of their country’s retaliatory attacks on Israel