Obviously a diplomatic result would be preferable to conflict. But it might be naive to think this would be successful when dealing with dictators & leaders of terrorist nations. They kill without any moral compass. These types of killers do see diplomacy as a weakness and use it against us to stall & grow stronger.
We instilled a dictator in Iran in 1953. Up until 1979 we were ok with him brutalizing his own people and living fat as long as our oil companies got what they wanted.
Now we're going to take the moral high ground?