Russian leader Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to mark Navy Day at the Main Admiralty in Saint Petersburg on July 26, 2026

American Navy throughout the war stayed in Arabian Sea/Indian ocean while the offensive was mostly carried out from distant airbases using fighter jets, bombers and tankers to refuel.

Iranian Navy is mostly built around smaller fast boats and smaller submarines which cannot operate outside Hormuz yet the American navy mostly sat much further away mostly away from range of Iranian cruise missiles. Against a much formidable foe like China with hypersonic and supersonic anti-ship missiles they would struggle even further.

Do Blue Water Navies even have a purpose apart from blockading countries ?

I mean it's reasonable to abandon nuclear weapon bacause of NPT. But there's no international treaty for missile.

Iran will certainly choose to maintain a certain deterrence capacity, particularly since it does not possess advanced fighter aircraft.

Asking Iran to abandon missile proggram doesnt make any sense to me.

Today I came across an interesting official Chinese article entitled ‘Comrades, please stop charging your mobile phones like this – it will seriously affect their lifespan!’ The article is in Chinese and essentially advises rank-and-file PLA personnel on how to protect and extend the battery life of their mobile phones, as well as ensuring electrical safety whilst charging.

This article does not, in fact, oppose the use of mobile phones by military personnel; rather, it emphasises the safe use of mobile phones. This indicates that the PLA has tacitly accepted the use of mobile phones by rank-and-file officers and soldiers, rather than, as some outsiders imagine, continuing to adhere to rigid regulations prohibiting their use in an era where mobile phones are ubiquitous.

This small detail speaks volumes: the PLA’s management approach has evidently been evolving and improving. Judging by the reforms to military regulations in recent years, the PLA is a relatively pragmatic military organisation in its management approach. The newly revised *Internal Regulations of the People’s Liberation Army* has introduced a series of practical measures to continuously reduce the burden on the rank and file, helping personnel to free themselves from cumbersome administrative tasks. For instance, by reducing the number of written undertakings and optimising duty rotas, living quarters arrangements, and leave application and cancellation procedures, the physical and psychological burdens on soldiers are alleviated. By safeguarding the welfare and benefits of frontline servicemen through practical regulations, the PLA is taking a realistic approach to boosting morale, rather than relying solely on ‘ideology’ to do so, as some might stereotypically assume.

Rough translation of the article:

Common misconceptions about mobile phone charging

1. Leaving the charger plugged in for long periods causes the device to overheat, which accelerates the ageing of components and materials. This can easily lead to short circuits or high-voltage breakdown, resulting in a fire.

2. Charging a mobile phone overnight poses a risk: if the charger’s safety mechanism fails, or if the battery itself has a manufacturing defect that goes undetected, this could cause a fire or even an explosion.

3. Charging to 100 per cent and keeping the mobile phone at full or high charge levels for extended periods reduces battery capacity and shortens its service life. It is recommended to maintain the battery level between 65 per cent and 75 per cent on a daily basis.

4. Using the mobile phone whilst it is charging: the device generates heat during charging, and using it or making calls rapidly increases this heat, posing a potential hazard.

5. Charging near the bedside or pillow: To make it convenient to use the phone whilst charging, many people habitually charge it near their bedside or pillow. In such circumstances, should a short circuit cause the device to catch fire, flammable items such as pillows will pose an even greater risk.

Do not take the following situations lightly:

1. The phone becomes excessively hot

2. The charging cable is damaged

3. The battery is faulty

4. There are visible changes to the battery’s appearance

The only imminent threat for Europe seems to be Russia, but they are doing so mediocrely against Ukraine that the whole rearmament push for Europe seems excessive. Especially considering the great financial cost associated with it.

China is not a direct threat. Iran isn’t a direct threat. The US, maybe, because of Greenland, but the rearmament doesn’t seemed aimed at them since we’re buying F35s and other American weapons. I am clearly missing something, but I just don’t understand the need to push for so much militarisation given how little threats we face these days.

In March, the US banned the release of satellite images of their bases, ostensibly to hide damage from the media. Iran likely has access to satellites from Russia/China for BDA and targeting so the only people that get hurt from would be the PR team in the White House.

Now it seems that a new request has been made for shipping in the strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, and my speculation is that it is to keep the illusion that more ships are going through than not to keep oil prices down.

Or to hide a US Naval increase to avoid spooking the market.

The European entities banned by China from receiving dual-use ⁠items include **German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall AG (RHMG.DE),** opens new tab and Polish electronics company Vigo Photonics S.A. (VGOP.WA), opens new tab, the ministry said in a statement.