Wall Street giants have been flocking to the Middle East for a slice of the region’s vast oil wealth, but escalating tensions between Iran and Israel are throwing up new uncertainties.

Wall Street looked shaky during its opening on Wednesday, with U.S. stocks fluctuating as investors navigate a surge in oil prices amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped by 14 points or less than 0.1 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite dropped 0.4 percent.

Israel continues to "consider very carefully" its response to Iran's recent missile attack, CIA Director William Burns stated on Monday, as quoted by CNN. During a conference on national security held in Sea Island,