By Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Suzanne McGee and Linda Pasquini NEW YORK/GDANSK (Reuters) -Investors were on edge ahead of markets reopening late on Sunday, gripped by anxiety over nationwide protests against President Donald Trump and the escalating threat of a sweeping conflict in the Middle East.

Israel and Iran bombarded each other for a third day, with international concern growing that the conflict will spread across one of the world’s key oil-producing regions.

Oil prices surged, stocks dropped and investors flocked to safe havens like gold on Friday after tensions between Israel and Iran escalated, stoking concerns of a broader conflict in the region.

That scenario now appears alarmingly close. On the evening of June 12th, Israel launched dozens of air strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites. The attack threatens to inflame the Gulf, which pumps a third of the world’s oil. Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose by 8% on June 13th, to $74 a barrel (see chart). How high might it now go?

Oil prices soared on Friday as tensions in the Middle East flared, with Israel attacking Iranian military and nuclear targets and Iran retaliating.

Iran was forced to shut part of its operations at the South Pars gas field after a suspected Israeli drone strike ignited a fire at one of its critical processing units on Saturday. The incident caused the suspension of 12 million cubic metres of gas production.

Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites on Friday, and the resulting oil-price surge and airline-stock slump, could pose even more obstacles for consumers navigating an already unusual summer travel season.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania calls for the U.S. to give Israel anything it needs in support of its assault against Iran.