Aug 28, 2026 · 17 min
Hormuz traffic stays risky as lasers target cartel drones
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | August 28th, 2026: Iran Is Losing Control of the Strait of Hormuz & Laser Warfare Comes to the U.S.-Mexico Border
The episode tests a presidential claim about a reopened strategic waterway against evidence of persistent danger, then examines a new border weapon’s practical limits.
- 1Mine-clearing operations have reduced some threats in the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping remains sparse and costly.
- 2Diplomatic efforts continue as Iran faces military and financial pressure over control of the waterway.
- 3A vehicle-mounted laser destroyed three cartel-linked drones, while weather and line of sight constrain its usefulness.
Don't miss
The U.S. military’s reported destruction of three cartel-linked drones with a vehicle-mounted high-energy laser marks a notable shift in border operations.
The brief
Mike Baker opens with Donald Trump’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz is effectively open, then tests it against mine-clearing operations, sparse traffic, and continuing military tension.
The United States investigated more than 200 objects and confirmed 11 mines in the recognized corridor between Iran and Oman, but clearing threats has not restored normal shipping.
Independent tracking, high war-risk insurance, attacks, and vessels turning around undercut official claims of renewed tanker traffic, even as Iran and Oman discuss a framework.
The U.S. military says a vehicle-mounted high-energy laser destroyed three cartel-linked drones near the southern border, showing directed energy moving into an active security mission.
The system can defeat drones without conventional ammunition, but weather and line-of-sight limits—and earlier air-safety concerns near El Paso—temper the promise.
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