Mike Drop

Roughly 10,000 more U.S. sailors and Marines are headed for the Middle East with the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Makin Island, as the buildup around Iran grows.
MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 21 OCTOBER 2026
The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the USS Makin Island amphibious group, with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are headed for the Middle East and expected by the end of November, joining the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington. Mike Ritland breaks down what the added carrier and amphibious package signal to Iran, what a Marine Expeditionary Unit brings that air power can't, and why any move toward troops on the ground would change the cost of this war.
Also covered: Iran keeps hitting ships in Hormuz even as Gulf oil exports climb back above pre-war levels, why oil is still over $100 a barrel, the administration's shift on Russia and Ukraine, and reports that Elon Musk pushed to slow the military version of Starlink that Ukraine relies on.
Will resumed strikes on Iran bring oil prices down, or push them higher? Tell us in the comments.
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00:00 10,000 more sailors and Marines head toward Iran
01:40 What a Marine Expeditionary Unit adds
02:55 Why troops on the ground change everything
04:10 Headlines vs. opinions
05:50 Iran keeps hitting ships, but more oil gets out
06:40 Why oil is still over $100
08:20 Can strikes bring prices down?
09:35 The shift on Russia and Ukraine
10:50 Musk and the Starlink slowdown
12:55 The U.S., Russia and China at one table
14:35 Gas prices and how Americans vote
15:50 Your take

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In this episode, retired U.S. Army veteran Tom Spooner discusses his 21 years in the 82nd Airborne, 7th Special Forces Group, and Delta Force, and how he was an alcoholic who still crushed it in the 82nd. He explains how a sponsor, a notebook, and a very different idea of God helped him get sober. He also covers the Gulf War, going through Delta selection right around 9/11, and the 2006 mortar strike that left him with an undiagnosed brain injury, along with the moral injury that came with it. The conversation also explores Iran, whether the Iraq War was worth it, and the work Spooner is doing now as co-founder and president of Warriors Heart.

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to an Israeli air base that hosts U.S. tankers and fighter jets, as the U.S. and Israel discuss resuming major combat operations against Iran.
MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 20 OCTOBER 2026
Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, with UAE officials present, according to Axios. Mike Ritland breaks down why a trip like this usually means plans are already in motion, why any decision lands on U.S. troops in the region first, and whether the U.S. should finish the job in Iran now or keep up the economic pressure.
Also covered: Iran's claim that it shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper over the Strait of Hormuz, and Britain sending fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia after a Houthi missile strike killed dozens of Yemeni soldiers.
Finish the job in Iran now, or keep the pressure on and wait? Tell us in the comments.
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00:00 Hegseth's unannounced trip to Israel
00:45 What it means for U.S. troops
01:40 Why go in person, and why now?
02:30 Finish the job or keep the pressure on?
05:00 Is Iran comparable to World War II?
06:30 Iran claims it shot down a U.S. Reaper
09:10 Houthi strike kills dozens; Britain sends jets to Saudi Arabia
11:15 Will the U.S. get pulled in?
11:40 Wrap-up

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Iran says the Strait of Hormuz reopens only if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade and leaves the region, as attacks on ships near the strait hit a record for the war.
MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 19 OCTOBER 2026
Iran's foreign minister laid out Tehran's conditions on Sunday: lift the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, lift oil sanctions and end hostilities, while an Iranian army spokesman said the strait opens when U.S. forces leave. Mike Ritland breaks down whether the blockade still serves the goal of a non-nuclear Iran, and what it costs to keep U.S. sailors in range of drones, fast boats and mines while the war drags on.
Also covered: the State Department's warning to Americans across the Middle East as the Houthi-Saudi fight widens, the airman killed in a rappelling demonstration before the Navy-UTSA game, and the rioting sweeping France.
Is the Hormuz blockade still worth it? Tell us in the comments.
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00:00 Iran: Hormuz reopens when the U.S. leaves
00:58 Is the blockade still necessary?
03:30 Waiting until after Nov. 3
04:45 U.S. troops in range of drones, boats and mines
05:50 State Department warns Americans across the Middle East
08:40 Airman killed in Alamodome rappelling demonstration
12:25 Rioting sweeps France
14:30 Immigration and capacity
19:30 Wrap-up

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Iran's new defense minister, a veteran of its missile program, says the U.S. will take casualties if strikes resume, as new details emerge about the Kuwait attack that killed six American troops.
MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 18 OCTOBER 2026
Iran's parliament confirmed Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, a U.S.-sanctioned veteran of its missile program, as defense minister, and his first message was a threat aimed at American troops in the region. Mike Ritland breaks down why that threat deserves attention, and what the Kuwait strike that killed six U.S. troops says about the countermeasures still protecting our bases. His take: it's not a reason to back off, but leadership can't leave gaps in force protection again.
Also covered: two more tankers burning in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. and Iran disagree on what hit them, $10 gas and $110 oil, and President Trump's order exempting Russia from new sanctions as Washington looks for relief at the pump.
Are U.S. bases in the region better protected now than they were in March? Tell us in the comments.
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00:00 Iran's new defense chief threatens U.S. troops
01:25 The Kuwait strike: a husband's question for JD Vance
02:50 How seriously to take Iran's threats
03:45 Force protection can't have gaps
04:30 Two more tankers burning in Hormuz
05:20 $110 oil and $10 gas
07:25 Trump exempts Russia from new sanctions
10:25 "It's the economy, stupid"
11:40 Your take

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