Jack Carr to Newsmax: Iran Miscalculated US Resolve

Iran has misread the United States as tensions continue, and the outcome will shape how global adversaries respond to American power, former U.S. Navy SEAL Jack Carr said Sunday on Newsmax.

President Donald Trump has given Iran a ceasefire and some time to collect itself, "but now it’s getting to a point where it doesn’t seem like anything’s happening right now," Carr told Newsmax's "Sunday Report."

Still, he said, it is a mistake to project American thinking onto adversaries like Iran, especially given fundamental differences in values and priorities.

"It’s always a mistake to mirror image, even here in the United States, with people you’re negotiating with that share the same values or similar values and traditions. But when you do that with another country, especially Iran, then it’s a grave mistake," he said.

He said Iran remains in a weakened position due to sanctions and internal mismanagement, but cautioned that the regime does not operate with the same concern for its population.

"So really the sanctions, mismanagement, they are in a weakened position, but we’re not dealing with someone that shares our values that would want to protect their people," Carr said.

Carr said U.S. actions have targeted both the "means and the will of the enemy," describing a strategy aimed at limiting Iran’s ability to wage war and export violence.

The stakes, he said, extend far beyond the Middle East.

"This is really, the stakes are global here. It’s not just about rising energy prices and oil. This is about the ability of the United States to project power," Carr said.

He said U.S. deterrence has eroded in recent decades, particularly following the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"The world took note. And really, we taught them that the United States does not know how to effectively use our military and that our citizens have no appetite for war. So the enemy was paying attention," Carr said.

Carr said the current situation will influence how adversaries such as China, Russia, and North Korea assess U.S. strength.

"Depending on how this turns out, we might teach the enemy even more lessons. And by that I mean China, Russia, and North Korea. If we lose," he said.

He added that U.S. leadership understands the broader implications of the standoff with Iran, including the need to reestablish deterrence.

"They know the stakes here. They know the stakes are global, and they know this is an opportunity for us to restore that world order and that dominance that we did have after World War II," Carr said.

Carr said success will depend on demonstrating the ability to act decisively and efficiently.

"They know that we have to win. They know we have to prove we can use minimum resources with maximum impact to deter our enemies. And that’s the signal we’re sending to Russia, China, and North Korea," he said.

He pointed to China’s military ambitions as an example of what is at stake.

"China has said it wanted its military to be prepared to invade Taiwan by 2027. So they’re prepared, they’re waiting, they’re watching, and they are learning from what’s happening right now with the United States and Iran," Carr said.

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