Brace yourselves for more leaks.
Kim Darroch, the former United Kingdom ambassador to the United States, reportedly alleged that President Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in 2018 for "personality reasons." The news broke after The Daily Mail released more information from what are reportedly leaked diplomatic memos that Darroch sent back to London during his time in Washington.
Last week, there were reports that Darroch called Trump "insecure," "inept," and "incompetent," which drew the president's ire, and eventually led to Darroch's decision to step down from his post.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In Saturday's report Darroch allegedly described Trump's decision on Iran as "an act of diplomatic vandalism" that was done simply to spite his predecessor former President Barack Obama, whose administration played a major role in brokering the deal in 2015. Darroch also criticized the Trump administration's strategy concerning the withdrawal.
"Moreover, they can't articulate any 'day-after' strategy; and contacts with State Department this morning suggest no sort of plan for reaching out to partners and allies, whether in Europe or the region," Darroch reportedly wrote in one of the leaked memos.
Iran, of course, has recently announced it will no longer comply with the limits agreed upon in the deal.
As for the leaks, U.K. police are trying to find some metaphorical duct tape. Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu warned media organizations against publishing leaked government documents, and the Met Police released a statement saying that journalists unveiling further details on the ambassador's cables could be in breach of the U.K.'s Official Secrets Act.
One person that hasn't been heard from yet is President Trump, but if his response to the last round of leaks was any indication, it might be worth keeping an eye on that Twitter feed.
-
Saudi Arabia could become an AI focal pointUnder the Radar A state-backed AI project hopes to rival China and the United States
-
What you need to know about last-minute travelThe Week Recommends You can book an awesome trip with a moment’s notice
-
Codeword: October 29, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
