High-energy laser weapons (HELs) are moving from lab demos to real defenses. Israel’s Iron Beam—likely the first HEL to see combat—promises near-zero cost per shot against drones and short-range rockets, easing the strain on interceptor stockpiles. But lasers aren’t miracle weapons. Power and cooling demands, weather, line-of-sight limits, and maintenance of delicate optics constrain performance, and attackers can counter with obscurants and saturation. This piece explains the tech, the trade-offs, and how Iron Beam fits alongside Iron Dome in a layered defense that could reshape the economics of air defense in the Middle East.

Trump’s Chabahar Sanctions Waiver Revocation & Bagram Airbase Talk Pile Pressure on India

The US decided that India’s rise as a Great Power must be derailed and it’ll pursue this by all possible means.

Quelle Surprise: UK’s Keir Starmer Government Goes All In On Digital Identity

The government is finally admitting the truth: it wants to launch a universal digital ID dubbed “Britcard” — despite the fact it’s a smartphone app.

War Signals, Quiet Channels, and Venezuela’s Discounted Barrels

An analyst in Caracas tries to make sense of Trump’s aggression against Venezuela.

The Villa of Reduced Circumstances is still facing tough times, but the CEO (that is me) and the Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Felines (that is also me when I have to negotiate with the neighborhood cats), are in strong agreement that we can afford to give $5 to Naked Capitalism. Another Anon Aloha […]