The central objective of increasing the security and military costs imposed on Iran is not necessarily to launch an all-out war, but rather to compel the Iranian leadership to accept a new deal.
If the [U.S.-Saudi] nuclear deal hits a deadlock, Riyadh may pivot to alternative suppliers — a shift that would significantly erode American strategic leverage in the Middle East.
President Trump’s messy handling of the Iran conflict has helped birth an axis that brings nuclear capability, serious money, and growing international clout together.