Mike Drop

Iran's armed forces chief says U.S. warships will never be allowed in the Persian Gulf, as a U.S. envoy says strikes on Iran could come this weekend.
MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 24 OCTOBER 2026
Iran's armed forces chief of staff, Ali Abdollahi, says Iran will not allow U.S. military ships in the Persian Gulf under any circumstances. Hours earlier, U.S. ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said a U.S. strike on Iran could "absolutely" come this weekend, while President Trump said he didn't know anything about it and has said strikes would wait until after the Nov. 3 midterms. Mike Ritland breaks down the mixed signals, why he doesn't think strikes are likely before the election, and why he believes election timing shouldn't drive military decisions.
Also covered: an intelligence memo from DNI Jay Clayton warning that Iranian plots to kill Americans abroad have reached "advanced stages," the State Department cutting embassy staff across the region, why the memo was made public, and Houthi missiles fired toward Saudi Arabia's Red Sea route around Hormuz.
Should election timing play any role in when the U.S. strikes Iran? Tell us in the comments.
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00:00 Iran: no U.S. warships in the Gulf
00:25 U.S. envoy: a strike could come this weekend
00:50 Mixed signals on strike timing
01:40 Why the administration is waiting
02:05 Should politics drive war timing?
03:45 Iranian plots against Americans reach "advanced stages"
04:10 Embassies and bases cut staff
04:35 Why make the memo public?
06:15 Building the case for strikes?
07:05 How the FBI handles plots at home
07:55 Houthis target Saudi Arabia's Hormuz bypass
08:45 Iran's reach through the Houthis
09:10 U.S., UK and France after Nov. 3?
09:35 Wrap-up

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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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