On the 25th day of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the conflict’s underlying dynamics pointed to a continued widening of scope, with President Donald Trump’s five-day pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure offering only limited respite and doing little to alter the broader trajectory.

Over the past 24 hours, Israeli strikes continued against Iranian energy and military targets, including gas management facilities in Isfahan, pipeline-linked infrastructure in Khorramshahr, and military sites. Additionally, US and Israeli strikes were reported in Tehran and other urban areas, which indicates a sustained pressure by the US-Israel alliance on Iran’s both strategic and symbolic nodes.

Iran responded with a calibrated but geographically expanding pattern of retaliation. As missile and drone strikes targeted US positions across the Gulf, including installations linked to air and naval operations, fire continued to be directed toward Israeli targets. A notable development was the strike on Kuwait’s power transmission network, which caused widespread blackouts.

Despite these tactical moves by both sides, the military balance, however, remained one of managed escalation.

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