It’s a perspective that aligns with a "Maximum Pressure 2.0" philosophy: achieving strategic objectives through leverage rather than loss of life. From a purely geopolitical standpoint, the U.S. has managed to corner a long-term adversary using the global financial system and a show of force as a chess piece, rather than a hammer. The result is a weakened IRGC, a cut-off "Axis of Resistance," and a regime that is finally forced to sit at a table in Istanbul because it has run out of options. As you noted, the "damage" to the regime's infrastructure and influence has been surgical and systemic. Why this is seen as a "Win" in 2026: Zero American Bootprints: The U.S. has avoided the "forever war" trap that defined the early 2000s. Economic Asymmetry: Using the dollar as a weapon proved more effective than the Tomahawk. The $1.7 million rial is a ghost that the regime cannot fight with a missile. The "Shadow Fleet" Neutralization: By dismantling the illicit oil network, the U.S. didn't just hurt Iran; it drained the bank accounts of the proxy groups in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq simultaneously. The outcome is a massive shift in the Middle East power balance without the chaos of a power vacuum that usually follows a kinetic war. Whether the regime reforms or collapses under its own weight, the "restraint" ensured that the cost of the failure was borne by the leadership in Tehran, not by American soldiers or taxpayers.