Devastating attack on Beersheva highrise murders 5, including mother and son; Finance Minister Smotrich says “Tehran will tremble” as Israel vows swift and devastating payback for gross truce violations. Trump’s premature triumph is in tatters as poor coordination and unfamiliarity with Islamic deceptions take their toll on diplomacy and ruin his victory lap.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz delivered a forceful condemnation on Monday morning, declaring that the Islamic Republic of Iran “will pay a heavy price” for violating the Trump-brokered ceasefire agreed to just hours before Tehran launched a coordinated missile and drone attack against Israel.

Speaking outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, Katz said, “Iran has crossed every red line—not just ours, but the world’s. This was not just a violation of trust. It was a deliberate act of terror dressed in diplomatic clothing. And for this, they will pay.”

The strong statement came in the wake of a night of high drama and shifting tides. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, acting as an informal envoy, had announced late June 23 that both Israel and Iran had agreed to an immediate ceasefire. But at around 3:24 a.m. on June 24, air raid sirens sounded across southern and central Israel as Iranian ballistic missiles and explosive drones struck military infrastructure and civilian targets. At least 19 Israelis were injured, and significant damage was inflicted on fuel depots and logistical facilities.

Katz emphasized that Iran’s breach was premeditated. “They agreed to a ceasefire while preparing their launchers,” he said. “They lied with one hand extended and the other holding a detonator. This is the regime’s nature—and the world must now treat it accordingly.”

The Foreign Minister also appealed to the international community not to fall for what he described as Tehran’s “cycle of deceit and aggression.” “Iran uses diplomacy as a delay tactic, as a cover for terror,” he said. “But Israel is not deceived, and we expect our allies not to be either.”

Katz’s message was clear: Iran’s betrayal would not go unanswered, and the cost would be exacted not only on the regime’s military infrastructure, but on its strategic deterrence.

As the Israeli Air Force launched retaliatory strikes on Iranian targets in Kermanshah, Esfahan, and eastern Syria, Katz reiterated that Israel’s goals remained firm: “We are not interested in war for war’s sake. But we will no longer play by their rules. If Iran seeks to destabilize the region and harm our citizens, then it must suffer consequences on its own soil.”

Katz concluded with a message to the Iranian people: “We have no quarrel with you. Our war is against the tyrants who rule you, who send your sons to die abroad and who poison your future. Your regime has started a fire it cannot control. We will extinguish it, and rebuild peace from the ashes.”

His words echo a growing consensus within the Israeli war cabinet: the era of restraint is over. Iran’s betrayal has confirmed what Israel has long warned the world—diplomacy with a terror regime must be backed by the willingness to strike decisively when that regime reveals its true face.