As tensions rise in the Middle East, the Trump administration works on a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear program as Israel prepares to attack.

Markets in Asia opened lower early Friday while oil prices surged after Israel attacked Iran's capital amid the ramping up tensions over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. U.S. benchmark crude oil rose by $5.

As the head of the secretive Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami, was one of the most powerful men in Iran, overseeing its most potent military arm and reporting directly to its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Explosions reported in capital Tehran as Israeli Defence Minister announces "pre-emptive strike" and announces state of emergency