With Israel apparently poised to attack Iran, the U.S. government warns staff in Israel to restrict travel and clears service members' families across the Mideast to evacuate.

Crude oil futures fell more than 1% on Thursday, after spiking sharply in the previous session on fears that Israel and Iran are on the brink of war. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was down $1.02, or 1.

A Houthi source told Newsweek that any attack on Iran "will drag the entire region into the abyss of war" amid escalation tension.

U.S. embassies and military bases across the Middle East are on high alert, as fears grow about and Israeli strike on Iran.

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.

Rising tensions over Iran's nuclear program have escalated amid diplomatic breakdowns, military preparations, and threats of conflict across the Middle East.

The International Atomic Energy Agency decision comes as American and European officials say they believe that Israel is preparing to launch a military attack on Iran.

US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza and stop talk of an attack on Iran, according to a source familiar with the conversation. The two leaders spoke on the phone on Monday.