Deterrence is cheaper than panic. The strike package on 28 Feb 2026 went after missiles and air defences because those are the levers Iran uses to intimidate neighbours and deter response. If you let that arsenal grow untouched, every future negotiation is held hostage by the threat of escalation. People will chant about legality while they fill their cars and pray the Strait of Hormuz stays open, and that hypocrisy is tiring. The mechanism is simple: capability creates confidence, confidence creates risk-taking, risk-taking creates war. Reduce capability and you reduce the appetite for adventure. Now hold the line, communicate limits, and do not wobble when the first retaliation headlines arrive.