Breaking Down the Israel–Iran Conflict: What We Know So Far - Day 135

Rising casualties across the region

Although no comprehensive updated death toll has been released, casualties continue to rise across multiple countries as fighting intensifies.

The figures remain subject to change as governments continue to verify casualties.

Iran has reported fresh civilian casualties following US strikes, including one person killed and four others wounded after an agricultural water pumping station in Mahshahr was hit.

Meanwhile, attacks have also continued in Lebanon, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Gaza, highlighting the increasingly regional nature of the conflict.

Peace agreement under severe strain

The memorandum of understanding signed several weeks ago is now facing its biggest test.

Since the agreement was reached, the United States has carried out one of its largest military campaigns against Iran, while Tehran has responded with multiple phases of retaliatory missile and drone attacks.

Analysts say key provisions of the agreement have effectively broken down.

Article 1, which required both sides to cease military operations, has been repeatedly violated as US and Iranian forces continue exchanging attacks.

Article 10, relating to sanctions relief, has also been undermined after Washington imposed additional sanctions on Iran.

At the centre of the dispute is Article 5, which Tehran interprets as granting Iran authority to regulate international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington rejects that interpretation, insisting the agreement guarantees unrestricted navigation through the strategic waterway.

Diplomatic observers now warn that unless this dispute is resolved, prospects for a permanent peace agreement are rapidly diminishing.

US launches fresh attacks across southern Iran

The United States has launched another major wave of strikes targeting military infrastructure across southern Iran.

According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the attacks were aimed at degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and US forces operating in the Gulf.

Iranian state media reported explosions in:

• Bandar Abbas
• Qeshm Island
• Sirik
• Jask
• Multiple locations across Khuzestan province

Additional strikes were reported near Chabahar and around Khondab, home to one of Iran's heavy water facilities.

Iranian authorities said attacks also struck several civilian locations, including an agricultural water pumping station in Mahshahr, where one person was killed and four others wounded.

Officials in Khuzestan said at least eight towns were hit during overnight strikes, with damage assessments continuing.

Iran retaliates across the Gulf

Iran responded by launching another series of missile and drone attacks against facilities linked to the United States and its regional allies.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for strikes targeting:

• US military installations in Bahrain
• Radar facilities in Oman
• US missile sites in Kuwait
• Military facilities in Jordan

The IRGC said it had destroyed radar installations in Oman and damaged two HIMARS rocket launchers and missile storage facilities in Kuwait.

Iran's army later announced continuing drone operations against US military positions across the region, saying it would use "all capabilities" to defend the country's sovereignty.

Sirens sound across Gulf states

The renewed escalation prompted air raid alerts throughout the Gulf.

Bahrain activated nationwide warning sirens and urged residents to seek shelter as Iranian attacks targeted the Sheikh Isa Air Base.

Jordan said its air defences intercepted four missiles that entered its airspace from Iran.

Kuwait confirmed its air defence systems engaged hostile aerial targets while authorities warned residents not to panic during interceptions.

Iran claims its targets included:

• Fuel depots
• Ammunition storage facilities
• Radar systems
• Air defence sites

Regional governments have yet to verify many of the Iranian claims independently.

Strait of Hormuz becomes the centre of the conflict

The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz has become the defining issue of the renewed confrontation.

Iran insists that foreign vessels require Iranian authorisation before transiting the waterway under the terms of the MoU.

The United States argues that the agreement guarantees unrestricted international navigation.

Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority says shipping will remain restricted until "stability and calm are restored".

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump continues to insist that the Strait remains open.

CENTCOM accused the IRGC of firing on commercial shipping and said US aircraft intercepted both an Iranian cruise missile and an attack drone threatening maritime traffic.

According to shipping data, traffic through the Strait has fallen to around 22 vessels per day, down from approximately 130 before the war, illustrating the ongoing disruption to one of the world's busiest energy corridors.

Regional mediation under pressure

Countries that have spent months attempting to mediate between Washington and Tehran are increasingly finding themselves caught in the conflict.

Oman summoned the Iranian ambassador after missile strikes targeted facilities linked to the country.

Qatar said attacks on Gulf states were undermining mediation efforts rather than advancing diplomacy.

At the same time, officials from Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman continue discussions aimed at finding a compromise over management of the Strait of Hormuz, which has become the principal obstacle preventing the peace agreement from being fully implemented.

Oil markets react to renewed fighting

The renewed military escalation has once again rattled global energy markets.

With approximately 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supplies normally passing through the Strait of Hormuz, continued disruption has raised concerns over energy security.

Brent crude climbed above $79 per barrel, rising more than four percent as investors reacted to renewed fighting and uncertainty over maritime traffic.

The disruption is also weighing heavily on Gulf economies, whose oil and gas exports depend almost entirely on the Strait remaining open.

Conflict continues beyond Iran

While attention has shifted towards Hormuz, fighting elsewhere in the region has continued.

Israeli forces carried out further operations in Lebanon and Gaza, with Palestinian health officials reporting at least seven people killed, including an eight-year-old girl.

India also confirmed that 23 sailors were rescued after an attack on the container ship GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman, while one crew member remains missing.

Prospects for peace are fading

Just weeks after Washington and Tehran declared that diplomacy had prevailed, the agreement intended to end more than 100 days of conflict is facing its gravest crisis.

Military operations have resumed across southern Iran, missile exchanges continue around the Gulf, and competing interpretations of the Strait of Hormuz have become the central obstacle to lasting peace.

Regional mediators are still working to salvage negotiations, but with both sides once again trading air strikes and commercial shipping disrupted, the Middle East appears closer to renewed war than to the stable peace envisioned when the memorandum of understanding was signed.

After months of war, the Middle East stands at a critical crossroads. Whether the current tensions lead back to diplomacy or renewed conflict will become clearer in the days ahead. Stay with Daily Mirror for the latest verified updates and comprehensive coverage as this developing story continues to unfold.