US President Donald Trump's decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 was to spite his predecessor Barack Obama, according to a leaked memo written by the UK ambassador to the United States.
Kim Darroch claimed that Trump was guilty of "diplomatic vandalism" and abandoned the Iran deal due to "personality reasons" and hostility with Obama, reported Daily Mail citing the cache of leaked documents.
Darroch also said that the former UK foreign minister, Boris Johnson, had appealed to the Trump administration last year to reconsider backing out of the international nuclear deal with Iran.
The leaked papers revealed that the decision to abandon the crucial Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) also called the Iran nuclear deal, was disputed among the officials. Darroch also claimed that the White House did not have a "day-to-day" strategy regarding the aftermath of the withdrawal from the deal.
Darroch's confidential memo, reported by Daily Mail last week, also contained the UK ambassador referring to the Trump administration as "clumsy and inept."
Trump slammed Darroch as "a very stupid guy" on Tuesday and said the White House would no longer deal with the UK ambassador. Darroch submitted his resignation a day later.
The wacky Ambassador that the U.K. foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy. He should speak to his country, and Prime Minister May, about their failed Brexit negotiation, and not be upset with my criticism of how badly it was...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2019
The decision to step down was also due to Boris Johnson's, the Tory frontrunner to become the next Prime Minister of UK, failure to support Darroch during Tuesday night's leadership debate, a British official told CNN.
A criminal investigation for the leaked documents was opened by the UK police. Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said the leaks caused damages to the UK's bilateral relations with the US.
FREEDOM OF PRESS
Neil Basu's claimed the leak as a criminal matter which is "the clear public interest in bringing the person or people responsible to justice." Warnings issued by the UK police to journalists for facing prosecution if further leaks get published is said to have sparked furore over limiting press freedom.
Such prosecution of journalists "would amount to an infringement on press freedom and have a chilling effect on public debate," countered Boris Johnson on Saturday.
Jeremy Hunt also criticised that UK police's decision to curb press freedom and said he defends "to the hilt" the right to press freedom.
These leaks damaged UK/US relations & cost a loyal ambassador his job so the person responsible MUST be held fully to account. But I defend to the hilt the right of the press to publish those leaks if they receive them & judge them to be in the public interest: that is their job
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 13, 2019
The Director of Society of Editors, Ian Murray said that such cutbacks on press freedom give rise to totalitarianism, "I cannot think of a worse example of a heavy-handed approach by the police to attempt to curtail the role of the media as a defence against the powerful and those in authority," reported The Guardian.
However, former Defence Secretary Michael Fallon defended the Met police's decision and said that curbing the publication of such confidential information violates the Official Secrets Act.
"As soon as we find who did it, we should have them investigated and prosecuted," Fallon said on BBC Radio. "We have press freedom ... but we also have laws. We have the Official Secrets Act and it is important that law is upheld," he added.
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