Record Hormuz Attacks, the Wrong Bomb for Pickaxe Mountain and France Moves Into Saudi | Mike Drop Newsroom

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 deep bunker, the bunker buster is built for that job, and announcing the target for months only gives Iran time to prepare. Meanwhile tens of thousands of American sailors and Marines stay in range while we wait out negotiations and the midterms. If we're going to do it, do it, and stop talking about it.

Also covered: France sending troops and air defenses to Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks mount, Iranian state media's claim that the U.S. asked permission to strike Pickaxe Mountain, Russia's attacks on Ukraine's power grid and the shift in U.S. tone toward Kyiv, the nearly $2 trillion federal deficit, and a wave of Gen Z Americans returning to faith.

Would you use the MOAB as a warning shot, or the bunker buster with no warning at all? Tell us in the comments.

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00:00 Correction: what MOAB actually stands for

00:50 MOAB vs. the bunker buster: the wrong tool for Pickaxe Mountain

02:05 Why announce the target at all?

03:00 Devil's advocate: watching how Iran reacts

03:58 Record ship attacks near the Strait of Hormuz

05:50 Sitting ducks: U.S. sailors and Marines in range

07:05 Houthis keep hitting Saudi Arabia, France moves in

08:15 Why isn't Europe doing more?

09:50 "We will expel U.S. forces": Baghdad Bob or Tehran Tim?

10:20 Iran's claim the U.S. asked permission to strike

10:52 Russia's attacks knock out power across Ukraine

15:52 The U.S. deficit nears $2 trillion

18:30 Gen Z's return to faith

20:20 Wrap-up