Tehran’s Final Word: A Bitter Morning in Be’er Sheva

According to Saed News, a rare moment of candour emerged from the Israeli cabinet as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed the aftermath of Iran’s missile strikes on Israeli cities. “There is no doubt,” he remarked, “that this morning left a bitter taste.” The admission came as Iran concluded a series of missile offensives with six final waves aimed at Israeli territory—striking deep into the urban heart of the Negev.

Among the targets was Be’er Sheva, where a direct hit on a residential building resulted in at least eight deaths and over thirty injuries. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), never shy with its symbolism, promptly shared an image from the site captioned, “We delivered the final blow.”

Yet the Israeli response, as voiced by Smotrich, struck a different chord. Alongside his somber reflection, he declared the campaign a strategic victory: Israel, he claimed, had neutralised “a direct and existential threat” and “dealt a hard blow to the Iranian regime.” The government, he added, would continue its operations in Gaza with “full force,” aiming to dismantle Hamas and recover Israeli hostages—an objective increasingly distant amid regional turbulence.

The statement came just hours after former President Donald Trump—who has reinserted himself into Middle Eastern diplomacy with characteristic drama—announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, effective from 7:00 a.m. local time. Iran, evidently, had not received the memo. Its missile waves launched after the supposed ceasefire suggest either a calculated snub or strategic defiance, undermining both the ceasefire’s credibility and Mr. Trump’s role as mediator.

What remains clear is that the last exchange in this round was fired by Iran. The war—short but savage—will have lasting implications: reputational damage for Israel’s deterrence image, fresh leverage for Iran in the region, and a warning to international actors about the limits of both military escalation and posturing diplomacy.

For Israel’s leadership, the morning may have begun bitterly—but the geopolitical digestion is likely to be even harder.