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Italian Tier-1 Raider Says Just 1 in 1,000 Make It Through Col Moschin Selection | EP 317 Nov 10, 2026

Show notes

Captain Alex Folchitto, a 16-year veteran of the Italian Army Special Forces and an airborne Ranger from the tier one unit known as the 9th Paratroopers Assault Regiment, Col Moschin, joins Mike Ritland as the first Italian veteran to appear on the podcast. Alex opens with a mission that nearly went terribly wrong: a midnight flight into a village, everybody shooting at them, and an aircraft that loses its front wheel. From there, he walks through the Italian selection (ten-day hell week, then three years of training), working alongside U.S. units in Afghanistan, rules of engagement, and his deployment to Libya around the time of the Benghazi attack. He also tells how he went from washing dishes at his sister’s restaurant to the movie business as a military advisor, stunt performer and actor.

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Iran’s 48-Hour Ultimatum, a Blockade Strike and Qatar’s Peace Plan | Mike Drop Newsroom Nov 09, 2026

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A U.S. warplane fired on a ship trying to run the blockade on Iran, and Tehran answered with a 48-hour ultimatum and a promise to "rain down hell."

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 09 NOVEMBER 2026

CENTCOM says a St. Kitts-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman ignored repeated warnings and tried to break the naval blockade, so U.S. forces ordered the crew clear and a U.S. warplane disabled it with precision munitions. Since July, the blockade has redirected 147 commercial ships and disabled five. Iran's foreign minister says Iran's two-day proposal stands and warned that otherwise "Iran's warriors will rain down hell," while President Trump says new strikes are "highly unlikely" to be necessary and three carriers in the region are "locked and loaded."

Mike Ritland breaks down what the 48-hour clock really means for U.S. sailors and air crews, why Iran's threats often don't match its follow-through, and why the third carrier group steaming in from the South China Sea could decide the timing.

Also covered:

- The debate over whether Russia can actually hand Iran the S-400

- Task Force Iron Gate and the push to hit Iran's land routes

- A drone that knocked out power to most of Iraq's Kurdish region, where U.S. troops have long been based

- Qatar's peace plan at the White House: lifting the blockade and releasing about $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets

- Trump's planned talks with Xi Jinping and Putin at APEC

- The White House's $1.5 trillion defense budget request and the December 11 funding deadline

Should releasing Iran's frozen money be part of any deal? Tell us in the comments.

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0:00 U.S. warplane fires on a blockade runner; Iran's 48-hour ultimatum

2:27 Can Russia really give Iran the S-400?

4:07 Task Force Iron Gate update

5:29 Drone knocks out power in Iraq's Kurdish region

7:50 Qatar's peace plan at the White House

11:00 Trump to meet Xi and Putin at APEC

13:20 The $1.5 trillion defense budget request

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Iran Lifts Its Missile Limit as U.S. Strikes Qeshm | Mike Drop Newsroom Nov 08, 2026

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Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it has lifted its self-imposed missile range limit for the United States, putting more U.S. bases inside the danger zone.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 08 NOVEMBER 2026

CBS News, citing the AP, reported that an IRGC spokesman said Iran's roughly 1,200-mile missile range limit has been lifted for the United States. Iran has not shown a new missile, but in March it fired two missiles toward Diego Garcia, about 2,400 miles away. Meanwhile U.S. strikes hit Qeshm Island, a U.S. aircraft disabled a blockade runner in the Gulf of Oman, and CENTCOM stood up a new task force to choke off Iran's land routes.

Mike Ritland breaks down why he sees the range threat as mostly rhetoric, whether U.S. air defenses have enough interceptors to cover a 2,500-mile radius, and what a CENTCOM task force aimed at Iran's land routes could mean for U.S. forces.

Also covered: two more tankers hit mines near Hormuz and what is missing from Iran's seven demands, Gadi Eisenkot's push to replace Netanyahu and what it means for a U.S.-Iran deal, reports that Iran wants Russia's S-400 air defenses, and Congress returning with a December 11 funding clock and an impeachment push against War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Do U.S. bases farther from Iran need to plan as if they're targets now? Tell us in the comments.

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00:00 Iran says it lifted its missile range limit

00:50 What it means for U.S. bases, and the Diego Garcia precedent

02:30 Do U.S. air defenses have enough interceptors?

03:40 U.S. strikes Qeshm and disables a blockade runner

04:50 Task Force Iron Gate targets Iran's land routes

07:40 Could it lead to boots on the ground?

09:15 Two more tankers hit mines near Hormuz

11:10 What's missing from Iran's seven demands

12:35 Eisenkot tapped to replace Netanyahu

13:45 Does a new Israeli leader change a U.S.-Iran deal?

15:45 Russia's S-400 and pipeline lifeline for Iran

17:00 What the S-400 means for U.S. pilots

21:45 Congress returns: funding clock and Hegseth impeachment

24:20 Is the war budget worth it?

25:30 Wrap-up

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CENTCOM Gets Ready to Strike Iran Again | Mike Drop Newsroom Nov 06, 2026

Show notes

U.S. Central Command is finalizing preparations to restart major operations against Iran, and President Trump says Americans will know "soon enough."

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 06 NOVEMBER 2026

U.S. officials told Axios that CENTCOM is finalizing preparations for a possible return to major operations against Iran, though no new order has been given. President Trump met with his national security team Wednesday and Thursday, and officials pointed to the November 9 new moon as favorable for operations. Meanwhile tankers are still burning in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran says its seven conditions must be met before the strait reopens.

Mike Ritland breaks down why the new moon matters, what "finalizing preparations" means for U.S. troops in the region, and whether the carrier group headed for the Gulf signals strikes are coming.

Also covered: Iran's nuclear proposal through Qatar and its security chief's meeting with Putin, Turkey's parliament approving a defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and why a NATO ally in the fight changes everything, War Secretary Pete Hegseth's $350 billion request and the impeachment push, and Gov. Gavin Newsom emptying California's death row.

Is the carrier heading to the Gulf a sign strikes are coming, or is there still an off-ramp? Tell us in the comments.

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00:00 CENTCOM finalizes preparations to strike Iran again

01:10 Why the Nov. 9 new moon matters

02:30 What "finalizing preparations" means for troops

03:00 Tankers burn as the U.S. blockade holds

03:50 Iran's seven conditions and the stalemate

05:45 Does the carrier group mean strikes are coming?

06:40 Iran's nuclear offer through Qatar and Putin

10:20 Turkey joins the Saudi-Pakistan defense pact

12:25 Why a NATO ally in the fight changes everything

14:25 Hegseth's $350 billion request and the impeachment push

17:25 Is it worth it? What success looks like

19:40 Newsom empties California's death row

22:05 Wrap-up

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Iran Says It Took Two U.S. Drones as Tankers Burn in Hormuz | Mike Drop Newsroom Nov 05, 2026

Show notes

Iran says it took control of two U.S. attack drones over the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. military finishes preparations for possible resumed major combat.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 05 NOVEMBER 2026

Iran's Revolutionary Guard says its navy's electronic warfare unit took control of two U.S. LUCAS one-way attack drones in the Hormuz area, part of the low-cost drone force the Pentagon has been ramping up. U.S. officials say the military is finishing preparations for possible resumed major combat, while President Trump says there are no immediate plans to strike.

Mike Ritland breaks down why U.S. forces need to know now if Iran can really grab drones in flight, why the daily attacks on tankers point to a stalemate in the strait, and whether the administration ramps up or backs off before the December 11 war funding fight.

Also covered: two more tankers on fire after mine strikes and the U.S. blockade at six months, impeachment talk building around War Secretary Pete Hegseth, China surging ships and aircraft around Taiwan and whether the Navy can cover two fronts, the Houthis claiming a strike on Riyadh's airport, and Vice President Vance saying the war cost Republicans the midterms.

Between now and December 11, do you expect more U.S. strikes on Iran, or a pullback? Tell us in the comments.

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00:00 Iran says it seized two U.S. attack drones

00:50 Why the LUCAS drone program matters

02:30 Strikes before December 11, or a pullback?

04:30 Tankers burn in the strait as the blockade holds

05:25 Qatar's draft deal and the stalemate

09:05 Impeachment talk builds around Hegseth

14:10 China surges ships and aircraft around Taiwan

15:25 Can the Navy cover two fronts at once?

16:40 Houthis claim a strike on Riyadh's airport

18:20 December 11: Congress and war funding

22:50 Wrap-up

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Israel Warns of Iranian Chemical Weapons, NATO Warns Poland, and the New Congress | Mike Drop Newsroom Nov 04, 2026

Show notes

Democrats won control of Congress, putting war funding for the Iran conflict on the table, while Israel warns that Iran is weighing chemical weapons.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 4 NOVEMBER 2026

Democrats won control of both the House and Senate on Tuesday. Current government funding runs out December 11, and the new Congress is sworn in January 3, with Democrats promising bills to end the Iran war. Meanwhile, Israel has told the U.S. and Gulf states that Iran is considering chemical weapons if full-scale fighting resumes, though some U.S. officials doubt the intelligence.

Mike Ritland breaks down why the short window before the funding deadline could raise the risk to U.S. troops, what a chemical weapons threat would mean for forces in the region, and why both parties should treat the election as a lesson, not a victory lap.

Also covered: an update on the EUCOM warning to troops and families in Europe, Poland reinforcing its border with Russia after a warning from NATO's top commander, and Trump saying $4 billion a year in military aid to Israel will end.

Is Israel's chemical weapons warning a credible threat, or a push to pull the U.S. back into the fight? Tell us in the comments.

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0:00 Democrats win Congress; war funding deadline December 11

0:45 Mike's take on the election

9:15 Update: the EUCOM warning in Europe

11:50 Israel warns Iran is weighing chemical weapons

16:20 Poland reinforces its border after NATO warning

18:55 Trump says $4 billion a year in aid to Israel will end

20:30 Wrap-up

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Iran Fires on a U.S. Jet, the U.S. Hits Qeshm Island, and Military Families Go on Alert | Mike Drop Newsroom Nov 03, 2026

Show notes

Iran fired a surface-to-air missile at a U.S. fighter jet over the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. forces struck back at Qeshm Island on the eve of Election Day.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 3 NOVEMBER 2026

U.S. officials say Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired on an American jet Monday evening, and U.S. forces answered with a limited strike on Qeshm Island, the largest island in the Persian Gulf. Officials called it defensive and say it does not signal a return to major combat. In Europe, U.S. European Command launched a "See Something, Do Something" campaign urging troops and families to vary their routes, turn off geotagging on fitness apps and limit posts about travel.

Mike Ritland breaks down whether a measured response is enough of a deterrent when Iran is still shooting at U.S. aircraft during talks, why EUCOM's warning to families in Europe is a big deal, and why letting aid lapse for Navy families evacuated from Bahrain would be an unforced error.

Also covered: Navy families evacuated from Bahrain could lose safe haven housing aid, Russia's posture ahead of talks with the U.S. and the future of U.S. support for Ukraine, China hosting Oman's sultan and Iranian officials as it pushes to reopen Hormuz, and Election Day.

Should the U.S. answer Iran with a measured strike, or take the gloves off? Tell us in the comments.

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0:00 Iran fires on a U.S. jet; U.S. strikes Qeshm Island

4:05 EUCOM warns troops and families across Europe

9:05 Navy families evacuated from Bahrain could lose housing aid

12:40 Russia, Ukraine and the upcoming U.S.-Russia talks

17:20 China steps into the Hormuz fight

19:55 Election Day

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Navy SEAL JTAC Reveals the Mistake That Exposed ISIS's Hidden Tunnel Network | EP 316 Nov 03, 2026

Show notes

Former Navy SEAL Justin Hughes, BUD/S Class 293, SEAL Team Five, JTAC, and BUD/S second phase instructor, informally known as a professional drowner, joins Mike Ritland. He’s also a self-taught oil painter, and Mike calls his work spectacular. They dig into second phase training and the pool comp test, where students get bloody noses, teeth ripped out, and end up throwing up underwater and blacking out. Justin also explains how often he had to pull drowning students up and resuscitate them, and why he refused to lower the standard.

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Iran Threatens Strikes Anywhere. The 14-Day Plan for Your Home | Mike Drop Newsroom Nov 02, 2026

Show notes

Iran's Supreme Leader has ordered an immediate response with no geographic limit to any new attack, and Mike Ritland lays out how he thinks about being ready at home.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 2 NOVEMBER 2026

Iran's Supreme Leader ordered the military to meet any attack with an "immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response," and to update its target bank so all kinds of U.S. and Israeli assets are within reach. President Trump says one or two sites in Iran remain, including Pickaxe Mountain, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio says no decision has been made on resuming strikes.

Mike Ritland breaks down what an unrestricted threat could mean here at home, then answers the question viewers keep asking: what does being prepared actually look like? He walks through a simple 10-to-14-day plan for water, power, food, medical supplies and light, plus what to do if it runs longer than two weeks. For deeper training, he points viewers to Clint Emerson and Mike Glover.

Also covered: the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz as both sides claim control; North Korea's latest weapons test; China's coast guard pressing in off Taiwan; and why the U.S. is getting involved in Russian gas to Europe.

Could your household last 14 days with no power and no store runs? Tell us what's in your kit in the comments.

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0:00 Iran orders a response with no geographic limit

1:30 Prepping at home: the 14-day plan

3:15 Water first

5:35 Food and power

6:30 Medical, firearms and light

8:15 Past two weeks: a secondary location

10:20 Hormuz standoff: who controls the strait?

12:20 North Korea tests during U.S. air drills

13:25 China's coast guard off Taiwan

16:45 Russian gas, Europe and the U.S.

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Iran Blinded U.S. Radars, Then Hit 26 Bases | Mike Drop Newsroom Nov 01, 2026

Show notes

Iran went after America's radars first, then hit hangars, warehouses and troop housing at 26 bases across the Middle East.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 1 NOVEMBER 2026

A new AP satellite analysis found more than 115 drone and missile strikes claimed by Iran or its militias damaged or destroyed structures at 26 bases and sites with U.S. equipment through August. Iran hit early-warning radars first, including a radar in Jordan that is one of only 13 the Army owns, then went after aircraft hangars, warehouses and barracks. Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was hit at least 30 times, and a Congressional Research Service report says 15 U.S. aircraft were damaged.

Mike Ritland breaks down why the order of those strikes matters: it is the same playbook the U.S. uses, and it shows Iran can now reach every base in the region if strikes resume after Tuesday's election. He also explains why he doesn't think the Pentagon should publish its own damage assessments.

Also covered: Trump says the U.S. still has one or two sites to hit in Iran, including Pickaxe Mountain; the Navy blockade has now turned back 144 ships as Iran offers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; a report that Russian satellites helped Iran's allies target Saudi Arabia; the U.S., South Korea and Japan on North Korean denuclearization; and what Tuesday's midterms mean for war powers and the troops.

Should the Pentagon tell Americans how badly our bases were hit, or keep it classified? Tell us in the comments.

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0:00 Iran hit U.S. radars first, then 26 bases

5:15 Trump: one or two sites left, including Pickaxe Mountain

7:40 Navy blockade turns back 144 ships

10:45 Report: Russian satellites helped Iran's allies

13:35 North Korea denuclearization talks

15:55 Tuesday's midterms and the war decision

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