A state that hesitates invites peril. The Americans say Epic Fury aims to destroy missile capability and stop a nuclear ambition, and I understand the logic even if the theatre disgusts me. When a regime threatens neighbours with missiles, it creates a market for fear, and fear is what keeps tyrants fed. Strike the launch systems, strike the air defenses, and you reduce the probability of a successful first blow. The price is political: other powers accuse you of lawlessness, and the UN Security Council turns into a shouting match. Yet weak signals also have a price, because they tell every regional bully that time is on their side. If this campaign ends with firm boundaries and a negotiated settlement, the world will call it brutal and still quietly be relieved.