Strength without recklessness. Diplomacy without naïveté. Deterrence without endless warfare. Hope without illusion. Because peace is not what governments announce today. Peace is what survives tomorrow.

The criticism was straightforward. Iran, many argued, received billions of dollars in sanctions relief without permanently dismantling its nuclear infrastructure. The agreement may have delayed Tehran’s ambitions, but it did not eliminate them. Critics believed the deal rewarded bad behavior, strengthened a hostile regime and ultimately left the world no safer than before.