Steelman · slot A
The leverage-first case
A hawkish strategist on Iran policy would argue —Tehran respects power, not politesse. The Uno image is communication: it tells the regime, its proxies, and our allies that the United States holds the escalation dominance in this confrontation — naval superiority over the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions architecture squeezing the Iranian economy, and a credible threat against the nuclear program. Iran has spent decades exploiting Western reluctance to look unserious or undiplomatic; meeting them with a meme reverses that asymmetry. The cards are real — carriers, sanctions waivers, Israeli air dominance — and broadcasting that we know we hold them is what brings Tehran to the table on terms favorable to us. Decorum lost us the JCPOA. Leverage, openly wielded, is what gets a better deal.