The Monocle Minute

With Iran stoking fears of further escalation in the Middle East, the US is right to deploy more naval vessels to the region. As well as securing Israel, an important ally, Washington is shoring up the stability of some of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. Its decision to defend the region using warships is a testament to the continuing importance of naval power to today’s international order. While militaries are investing in newer technologies, such as drones and cyber-attack deterrents, warships still play a crucial role.

After the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, Iran announced its intention to launch a retaliatory attack against Israel. Not long before this, the US had confirmed the deployment of additional naval forces, including Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers, to the eastern Mediterranean, in response to Iran’s aerial attacks on Israel in April. The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group was redirected from the Indo-Pacific to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Gulf of Aden. And to ensure that its message to Iran is clear, the US is now planning to deploy its guided-missile submarine USS Georgia.

The US Navy is currently struggling to reach the necessary levels of recruitment and personnel. But the country has demonstrated a strong commitment to bolstering its sea-based capabilities. Though US naval might remains the most viable solution when it comes to deterring conflict in the Middle East, that’s no easy task. Operation Prosperity Guardian has yet to put an end to Houthi attacks in the region. However, in the case of Iran, it is better to use anti-missile support from the sea than deploy boots on the ground. US naval forces have successfully contained the regional fallout that has followed the 7 October attacks. Their job now is to remain vigilant and stay present.

Gonzalo Vázquez is an analyst with the Spanish Naval War College’s Center for Naval Thought. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

Melbourne has become the latest city to reconsider allowing rental e-scooters on its streets. After the city council voted to ban them, lord mayor Nicholas Reece bemoaned the poor behaviour of riders and the injuries that they had inflicted on pedestrians. The coastal city follows Paris, which abolished rental e-scooters last year after an overwhelming popular vote (if on a tiny turnout). It’s a good start but the problem is far from solved – next, privately owned e-scooters should be reined in too.

The footpaths of Melbourne’s Swanston Street resemble a roller-derby track after dark. In Paris, it isn’t unusual to see drunk people or children riding e-scooters. Though it’s illegal to ride privately owned ones on London’s public thoroughfares, little effort is made to enforce this. E-scooter advocates maintain that these machines represent the clean, quiet future of urban transit. That might theoretically be true – but it has been amply demonstrated that too many riders can’t be trusted to obey the law or even the conventions of courtesy. They will remain a pestilence as long as they are unlicensed and inadequately policed.

Spruce Gallery opened in Manila with the ambition to introduce magazine culture to the Philippines’ largest metropolis. The small space displays a wide selection of international titles and holds rotating art exhibitions. Chairs are scattered around the gallery to encourage passers-by to linger, while the founders, Ric Gindap and Bonnapart Galeng, are always on hand to provide recommendations. Their vision is to build a community around print and encourage interactions, hence their decision not to launch a website for the business.

“Our DNA is really in magazine creation,” says Gindap, who is the former editor of Memo magazine. Spruce has been a welcome addition to the city, helping to introduce independent titles to a new generation of magazine readers. “Younger people are bombarded with digital images all the time,” says Galeng. “They’re a reading generation and want to hold something that’s tactile.”

For more unlikely finds, insights and ideas from our global network of reporters, buy a copy of Monocle’s bumperJuly/August issue, which is out now.

Neel Bradham is the CEO of Parador, a luxury interiors brand headquartered in Coesfeld, Germany. Since 1977 the company has prided itself on delivering the highest-quality flooring and décor, and now has a reach spanning more than 70 countries. Bradham spoke to Monocle Radio’s The Entrepreneurs about Parador’s craftsmanship, its sustainability goals and his experience of leading the company.

What was it like to take on the top role of a heritage brand?
It was exciting but also an interesting challenge. I stepped into the role last year. Parador hadn’t had a CEO for a while so I was filling a position that staff weren’t used to. I was also an American who was taking the reins of a German legacy brand. Coming into a company with almost 50 years of heritage, while not being able to speak the language, I knew that the first thing that I had to do was try to deeply understand the place.

Did that mean becoming involved in the craft process?
Yes, and understanding where the brand had moved itself and where it stood in the market. Product is the lifeblood of the company, its heartbeat. The first thing about Parador that became obvious to me was the importance of quality – the craftsmanship, the pride of ownership. Maintaining this standard in the organisation is paramount. You’re only as good as the quality of the latest order.

You have taken on some of the sustainability goals that the company came up with before your tenure. How is that going?
I’m a big believer in the process. Carbon is the barometer by which many brands are judged today so it’s very important. Our products are made with natural materials so we have a slight advantage in this respect but we have plans to be completely off-grid at all of our manufacturing facilities by the end of 2025. Coming into this industry, I had the opportunity to work for one of its icons: Ray Anderson, the founder of Interface. Ray always said that you can do well by doing good. I strongly believe that.

For our full interview with Bradham, tune in to episode 661 of‘The Entrepreneurs’, on Monocle Radio.

Gonzalo Gout and Larissa Lawrence, co-founders of Vinos Enteros, turned their shared passion for wine and hospitality into a successful wine-import business in Mexico City. They discuss how cultural exploration has shaped the company, allowing them to bring unique Old World wines to Mexico’s culinary scene, and the operational challenges of running a business in the country.