The US military has struggled with enforcing their opsec policies regarding phones and social media the whole time. Despite being a “professional volunteer force,” it’s full of petulant children who chafe against being told not to post everything online (to our benefit).
They are definitely able to mine the strait. US minesweepers are typically stationed in Bahrain. They would not be able to defend from a significant Shahed attack, as they are wood and fiberglass hulls (steel hulls set off mines) and can’t hold significant air defense. Minesweepers have to be escorted, but the escorts have to maintain distance due to the nature of clearing mines. It’s a very dangerous task.
Democrats I’ve talked to say to leave room for surprise candidates. “There may be someone running we’ve never thought of,” a senior national Democratic strategist said.
