A U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran was supposed to mark the start of de-escalation after days of dangerous attacks, but the truce almost immediately came under pressure. Israeli officials accused Iran of firing missiles after the ceasefire began, while Iranian state media denied the claim. Instead of calming the situation, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted a blunt warning: “Tehran will tremble.”
That line matters because Smotrich is not a random commentator. He is a senior minister in Netanyahu’s government and a member of Israel’s security cabinet. His threat came as Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to respond forcefully, raising fears that the ceasefire could collapse before it even had a chance to hold.
The pattern is familiar: Washington announces diplomacy, Israel claims a violation, Iran denies it, and Israeli hardliners push for escalation. If the goal was peace, the language coming from Netanyahu’s government looked more like preparation for the next round of war than commitment to a ceasefire.