The State Department told regional allies about Israel's plan to strike Iran, and indicated it wasn't a U.S. operation, four sources told CBS News.

The explosive conflict between Israel and Iran is roiling the Middle East – and raising questions about whether the world is moving ahead without the U.S. Colonel Jack Jacobs, Anthony Fisher, Pablo Torre,

BERLIN (Reuters) -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.

Advanced espionage techniques made the most of Iranian vulnerabilities, but Israel’s ultimate aims may still be out of reach.

The Israeli shekel suffered widespread selling on Friday along with some government bonds and equity markets across the Middle East after Israel launched missile strikes against Iran.

If prices go up, Fed officials may be inclined to raise its benchmark rate, raising borrowing costs for businesses and consumers. That could lead to businesses to cut jobs, particularly in the high-growth tech sector, and force Americans to pull back on spending, which drives more than 70% of economic activity in the U.S.

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.