Newsmax guest on Iran's military capability: “The credible assessments don't line up with the narrative from the White House”
Podcast host Mike Baker: “To say that they have no defenses is an exaggeration, just like it is to say that we have control of the Strait. If we had control of the Strait right now, we wouldn't be doing this segment.”
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From the June 11, 2026, edition of Newsmax's Carl Higbie: Frontline
CARL HIGBIE (HOST): So, Mike, we've been here before.
MIKE BAKER (GUEST): Yeah.
HIGBIE: Do you think they mean it, or are we negotiating with somebody who's even in charge?
BAKER: Look. They've never negotiated in good faith. Right? So color me cynical on all of this. And we haven't gotten any word yet from the regime that says they've agreed or that they're, you know, in agreement with the comments coming from President Trump and the White House. And as you point out, we've gone through this rinse repeat cycle, several times. So, I'm with you. I hope that's the case with one caveat — I hope that, you know — this agreement is going to be a memorandum of understanding, basically. So I think what we're going to end up seeing is an MOU signed that says we're going talk. Right? And there'll be some concessions. And I think that's the part that we need to keep our eye on. What concessions are being given to the Iranian regime to get this MOU signed, which essentially kicks the can down — I know I'm sounding cynical — kicks the can down the road for the nuclear —
HIGBIE: I don't blame you.
BAKER: Yeah. So that's kind of where I'm standing right now.
HIGBIE: Brent, but why not just say, like, hey, we're just going to keep tune — you know, tuning you guys up. We're going to keep turning your cities into the stone age until you put the dust on a platter and hand it to us.
BRENT SADLER (GUEST): I think there's a great point to be made on that. The president, I think, has taken the course he's taken because the attacks were designed to get a breakthrough on the deal. I'm skeptical as Mike is that the Iranians will honor their side of the deal. They're already starting to be stuff coming out of Iran, at least the rhetoric that they're already trying to characterize it and already setting up a narrative that could, you know, have second, like, second-guessing, and we could be back. And, again, the key thing here is letting that play out in the next day, maybe two at most into the weekend, but keeping the military hammer ready to swing. So, whatever strikes were planned for tonight, as soon as the Iranians look like they're playing games, that hammer needs to fall and probably a 120% what was planned tonight needs to fall very quickly and pretty resoundingly, and most of it on the IRGC's head.
HIGBIE: Yeah. Mike, I got about 45 seconds here. The issue, though, is we've been here, and we were told that they didn't have any military. Then they launched a drone that hit our helicopter — that took down a helicopter, and we hit more military targets. Like, at some point, we have to, you know, we have to get an update that's real. Do we even know what's going on, what's left of their military?
BAKER: Yeah, look. The credible assessments don't line up with the narrative from the White House. And I understand why the White House says things the way they do. And, look, of course, President Trump always speaks in sort of this rhetoric that, you know — and part of that keeps the adversaries on their back foot. But the reality is they have retained, you know, possibly up to two-thirds of their missile stockpiles and their launchers. They've certainly retained sufficient capabilities along the Strait of Hormuz. So, to say that they have no defenses is an exaggeration, just like it is to say that we have control of the Strait. If we had control of the Strait right now, we wouldn't be doing this segment.
HIGBIE: Right. Well, that's a fair point.