WORLD ROUNDUPIt’s Official: America Can’t Be Trusted | Iran Security Risk to the U.K. Now Equal to that of Russia | China Surveys Seabeds Where Naval Rivals May One Day Clash, and more

Iran Security Risk to the U.K. Now Equal to that of Russia  (Fiona Hamilton, The Times)
Iranian agents are intent on wreaking havoc in the UK through assassinations, kidnapping and cyber attacks, parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee warns.

U.S. Threats to AUKUS Pact Put United Front Against China at Risk  (Richard Lloyd Parry,The Times)
As 19 nations, including the UK, gather in Australia for military exercises, there are worries that Washington could rip up the ‘critical’ security agreement.

Trump Claimed the Houthis Were Dead. Now They Are More Powerful Than Ever  (Ben Farmer and Akhtar Makoii, The Telegraph)
President’s confidence appears unfounded after militants sink two vessels on critical Red Sea shipping route.

Israel and Syria Should Prioritize Security Cooperation  (Ahmad Sharawi, Foreign Policy)
Pushing too hard for a peace deal could come at the expense of more pragmatic action against shared threats.

It’s Official: America Can’t Be Trusted  (Christian Caryl,Foreign Policy)
Flip-flops, uncertainty, and the Pentagon’s freelancing on weapons aid leave Ukraine and European allies in the lurch.

China Surveys Seabeds Where Naval Rivals May One Day Clash  (Chris Buckley, New York Times)
Chinese research ships are studying the seas for science and resources, but the data they gather could also be useful in a conflict with Taiwan or the United States.

Denmark Finalizes U.S. Defense Deal Despite Greenland Gripes  (Teri Schultz, DW)
President Trump refuses to rule out forcibly annexing Greenland. Yet the Danish parliament has just passed a law allowing the US military free access to bases. Why?

U.K. and France Sign First Nuclear Pact to Fend Off Threat to Europe  (Mark Landler and Michael D. Shear, New York Times)
At a summit on Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron also announced a “one in, one out” pilot program on migrants crossing the English Channel.

Plans to Relocate Gazans to a “Humanitarian City” Look Like a Crime Against Humanity – International Law Expert  (James Sweeney, The Conversation)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are refusing to implement a government plan to move hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into a what it calls a “humanitarian city” in Rafah on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, chief of the IDF general staff said the plan was not part of the military’s operational plan for destroying Hamas and freeing the remaining hostages.
Army reservists have reportedly also complained that the plan amounts to a war crime. In my view as an expert in international law, they are correct. Forcibly relocating a population is prohibited, even in war. It is also a crime against humanity and could even amount, under certain circumstances, to genocide.