By Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Nationwide protests against President Donald Trump, tensions in the Middle East amid Israel's strikes on Iran and expected rainy weather in Washington on Saturday could dampen spirits at a military parade on the U.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded the Federal Reserve slash interest rates. But Fed officials have stood pat, waiting to see how his administration’s sweeping policy changes affect the economy first.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discusses whether President Donald Trump is communicating with Iran's leadership on 'Fox & Friend Weekend.'

Major equity indices, which had been hovering near all-time highs, pulled back as geopolitical risks surged back to the forefront.

The US State and Defense departments on Wednesday made efforts to arrange the departure of non-essential personnel from locations around the Middle East, according to US officials and sources familiar with the efforts.

Pope Leo XIV called for “responsibility and reason” in the conflict between Israel and Iran. “No one should ever threaten the existence of another,” he wrote on X. “It is the duty of all countries to support the cause of peace,

Israel’s attack on Iran has catapulted their long-running conflict into what could become a wider, more dangerous regional war and potentially drive prices higher for both businesses and households.

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.

U.S. ultra-low sulfur diesel futures hit the highest level since February, outpacing gains in oil and gasoline as analysts warned that diesel supply is the most exposed to the conflict in the Middle East.

The United States is drawing down the presence of staffers who are not deemed essential to operations in the Middle East and their loved ones due to the potential for regional unrest.

Flying cars moved a step closer to reality in Oman, OceanQuest debuted at the UN Ocean Conference and it was announced that Syria will reconnect to the Swift payment system.