Episodes

U.S. forces in the Middle East could launch a major new strike on Iran within 96 hours of a presidential order, and the target list now includes Iran's energy infrastructure. MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 26 OCTOBER 2026 According to CNN, U.S. officials say forces already in the region could launch a bigger operation than past strikes within 96 hours of an order, with a target list covering energy infrastructure, military sites and nuclear facilities. Some officials think an order could come before the...

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 a...

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...

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. T...

Defense Secretary 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. tr...

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...

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...

Iran just attacked a record number of ships in the Strait of Hormuz while U.S. forces wait in range, and the Pentagon is openly talking up the MOAB for Pickaxe Mountain. MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 17 OCTOBER 2026 Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down the record week of attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz, the talk of using the MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast) on Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, and Iran's threats to expel U.S. forces from the region. Mike's take: the MOAB is the wrong tool for a...

U.S. officials say the military has built plans to drop the 21,600-pound MOAB on Iran's nuclear sites if the war resumes, with Trump saying no strikes before the Nov. 3 midterms. MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 16 OCTOBER 2026 Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down the Pentagon's MOAB strike plans for Iran and whether hitting the same targets again will work this time. Mike asks the question the headlines skip: if last summer's strikes knocked Iran's nuclear program back years, why are U.S. crews bei...

U.S. Navy sailors pulled the crew off an Iranian-linked spy boat watching American warships in the Gulf of Oman, then attack helicopters fired missiles and set it ablaze. MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 15 OCTOBER 2026 Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down the strike on Iran's spy boat and why boarding it first was worth the risk. Mike has done boarding and maritime operations in the region, and he explains the trade-off: pulling the crew off first is a treasure trove of intelligence, but a boat rig...

President Trump says a decision on Iran is coming "very soon," the Pentagon has asked for new strike options, and Iran is reportedly fortifying its nuclear sites. MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 14 OCTOBER 2026 Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down what a second round of U.S. strikes on Iran would look like and who would be flying it. With the USS Abraham Lincoln gone, a fresh set of pilots and crews would carry out any new strikes. Mike asks the hard question: if Iran still has bunkers to fortify a...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 13 OCTOBER 2026 The Houthis are warning of a "swift and painful response" if the U.S. joins Saudi strikes in Yemen, and American troops across the Gulf are already within reach. Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down the Houthi threat and whether striking them now would put more U.S. troops in danger. Mike explains why the U.S. held off on Iran during the Iraq War, even with proof Iran was helping kill American troops, and why the same math applies to the Houthis today...

Roman historian and creator of The Roman Pattern, Jeremy Ryan Slate, breaks down the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and the troubling parallels to modern America. From corrupt political leaders and the execution of Rome's most capable generals to military decline, currency debasement, and failing institutions, Slate explains how one of history's most powerful empires weakened from within. He also explores Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, military loyalty, and the warning signs he believes Ame...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 12 OCTOBER 2026 A Houthi strike on Riyadh’s airport killed an American, the attacks haven’t stopped, and President Trump says the U.S. “may” join Saudi Arabia’s fight. Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down what the Houthis mean for the war with Iran and why the U.S. response has been so quiet. Mike doesn’t think the American was targeted for being American, but he says the Houthis’ escalation demands a response if the goal is to crush Iran and its proxies. Then Iran s...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 11 OCTOBER 2026 The soldiers chosen for the Fort Hood shooter’s firing squad may have no way to opt out, and the Pentagon still wants the execution livestreamed. Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down how military firing squads work and why he thinks this one should be volunteers only. The last U.S. military firing squad, in January 1945, was drawn from the condemned soldier’s own regiment. Mike believes survivors and unit members would easily fill the 5–12 spots by vo...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 10 OCTOBER 2026 The Pentagon says the Fort Hood shooter will face a firing squad on December 3rd — and that the execution may be live streamed. Mike's read: nearly every veteran weighing in says the same thing. Carry out the sentence, but turning it into broadcast content is a line this country shouldn't cross. Alonzo Lunsford, the former staff sergeant shot seven times that day who plans to witness it in person, put it best: there's nothing glorified in the smell of blood ...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 09 OCTOBER 2026 The New York Times says the Iran war was supposed to show off American power and has done the opposite. B-1 bombers are pulled out of Britain, bases across the Gulf are closed, and carriers are being resupplied from 2,200 miles away. Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland, who served in Iraq, breaks down why seven months of war have left Iran's regime replaced but not weakened, and what he thinks winning should actually look like. Mike's take: decades of U.S. bases ...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 08 OCTOBER 2026 The New York Times says the Iran war was supposed to show off American power and has done the opposite. B-1 bombers are pulled out of Britain, bases across the Gulf are closed, and carriers are being resupplied from 2,200 miles away. Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland, who served in Iraq, breaks down why seven months of war have left Iran's regime replaced but not weakened, and what he thinks winning should actually look like. Mike's take: decades of U.S. bases ...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 07 OCTOBER 2026 France leads both papers again, so Mike skips ahead to the stories that matter here. The headlines: according to the New York Times, a Yemeni general warned weeks in advance that the Iran-backed Houthis were about to push along the Red Sea coast, and the U.S. and Saudi Arabia stood by. Vice President Vance is pressing Iran for a meaningful reduction in its nuclear capability to end the war, while Iran's president calls the talks meaningless. Germany arreste...

Former DEA Special Agent Steve Murphy—credited with taking down cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar, serving as a technical consultant for Narcos, and co-authoring Manhunters—sits down with Mike Ritland for an in-depth conversation. After watching the hit series depicting Murphy’s career, Ritland explores the real-life history behind the story, diving into the operational friction, the uncredited role of U.S. special operations like Delta Force and SEAL Team 6, and the harsh realities of combating the ...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 06 OCTOBER 2026 The biggest story today wasn't on either front page. Mike pulls in an AP report: soldiers seriously wounded in Iranian drone strikes say the military's medical system failed them. One soldier had a damaged artery that put him at risk of a stroke. He was sent to barracks and told to schedule outpatient appointments. Another waited more than four months for MRI results after having shrapnel removed from his head. Also in today's papers: Saudi and Yemeni force...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 05 OCTOBER 2026 The Journal and the Times split again today, and Mike gives the edge to the Times. The headlines: the U.S. is moving its B-1 bombers out of the UK over security concerns. Investigators say authorities in three countries missed chances to keep the FlyDubai attacker out of the cockpit. President Trump repeated a promise of $5,000 to every adult American if Republicans win the midterms. A new White House task force has 120 days to report on the risks and oppor...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 04 OCTOBER 2026 A long one for Sunday. There's no Wall Street Journal today, so Mike covers the New York Times and then shares the story many of you asked for: his path back to Christ. He starts by setting the record straight. After hearing from viewers, Mike walks back his comments on the Cornell case. He says he was guilty of the same rush to judgment he warns against, and he'll wait for the facts. He also shares what viewers in France told him the coverage of the riots ...

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 03 OCTOBER 2026 The Saturday papers split again, and this episode includes something new: a private intelligence summary from Mike's friend Max at Asylum Security, a former SEAL sniper who now works in executive security. It's not classified, but it comes from serious sources, and it covers threats that never make the front page. The headlines: Russia is pushing migrants across Latvia's border as a tactic against the West. Student protests over school conditions have turne...