You're missing the point. There was no strategic value or net positive of wiping out the entire country of Russia with a nuclear warhead during the Cold War, but they knew the threat was there. If hardcore Muslims thought that we had our finger on the trigger waiting to wipe out their holiest site and the promise of stuffing their corpses with pig entrails so they wouldn't reach paradise, they might still hate us but they might also think twice about attacking us.
The Soviets controlled the State.
Contrary to belief, they were only willing to sacrifice the lives of their people. Their own hides were ranked too important to lose to a nuclear fallout.
The terrorists do not own a state. They have friendly authoritative regimes, but this is not quite the same. Those regimes do not control an army that will stand down at request. The terrorists operate independent of these regimes' wishes, nor do they fear the end of any life including their own.