Just thinking about Khalid ibn al-Walid's message to the Sasanian Empire

Salam everyone, I recently saw something about how Khalid ibn al-Walid once sent a message to the Sasanian Empire basically saying they had three choices: accept Islam, pay the jizya (a tax for protection under Muslim rule), or face war. It got me wondering... isn't it haram to force someone to become Muslim? And why offer the jizya option if they weren't already under Muslim control? Like, from a non-Muslim perspective back then, it might have felt like a tough spot-choose a faith you don’t want, pay a tax to a power not ruling you, or fight. I’m Muslim myself, Alhamdulillah, and I know entering Islam is the biggest gain, not a loss. But I wanted to check if I’m missing some context here. Maybe the situation was more about offering terms before any conflict? If anyone has more insight, please share-I’d love to understand this better!