Amid ongoing strikes between Israel and Iran, Trump is publicly and privately making clear his desire to keep the United States out of the fray for now.

The conflict, the most intense fighting between the two countries in decades, has been met in the United States with feelings of “frustration and helplessness,” as well as heartbreak.

Israel and Iran exchange missile attacks for a third day; nuclear sites hit, death tolls rise, airspace shut, U.S. warns Tehran against retaliation.

The oil price surged more than 7 per cent on Friday after news of the attack hit commodity traders' screens, and any thought of the price staying below $US60 a barrel this year now seems dead.

DUBAI — Israel unleashed airstrikes across Iran for a third day Sunday and threatened even greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses to strike buildings in the heart of the country. Planned talks on Iran’s nuclear program, which could provide an offramp, were canceled.