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 rigged with explosives can turn into another USS Cole the moment sailors step aboard. He also takes on President Trump's claim that a leak of B-2 departure times let Iran see a raid coming, and asks whether leakers should face the firing squad. And he says it plainly: Iran and the Houthis are sinking ships and hitting Saudi targets while the U.S. waits for the Nov. 3 midterms. Take the gloves off, or bring the troops home.
Also covered: a Ukrainian special forces veteran on trial for blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline (and what a 250-foot sabotage dive really takes), and the Pentagon's expanding fight against cartels in Latin America.
Should the Navy pull the crew off first, or just take the boat out? Tell us in the comments.
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0:00 U.S. helicopters destroy an Iranian spy boat
0:50 Pull the crew off first, or just take it out?
2:05 The suicide-boat risk: remember the USS Cole
3:20 Trump: B-2 raid leak meant Iran was waiting
4:10 How leaks get troops killed
7:05 Should leakers be shot?
8:20 Iran and the Houthis ramp up attacks while the U.S. waits
11:15 Take the gloves off or pull them out
12:05 Ukrainian commando on trial for Nord Stream
14:10 A combat diver on a 250-foot sabotage dive
16:20 U.S. troops vs. the cartels in Latin America
19:55 Cut the demand, not just the supply
20:45 Wrap-up
