British ambassador says Trump withdrew from Iran nuclear deal to 'destroy Obama'

British Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch in early 2019. Photo:AP.

"The Trump administration has committed an act of diplomatic sabotage, apparently for personal and ideological reasons, because it was Obama's deal," British Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch wrote in a diplomatic cable sent to London in May 2018, referring to the US withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA).

The cable was published by the British newspaper Daily Mail yesterday, after publishing a series of secret cables and reports by Ambassador Darroch that were leaked last week. In previous reports, Darroch assessed that US President Donald Trump was "insecure, incompetent" and his career "could end in disgrace".

Darroch's assessment of Trump's motives for withdrawing from the JCPOA came after then-British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson traveled to Washington in May 2018 to try to persuade the US not to abandon the deal. However, the effort failed when Trump later announced his unilateral withdrawal from the agreement signed by Iran and major powers.

In a subsequent cable, Darroch hinted that the Trump administration was divided over the decision, and criticized the White House for not having a long-term strategy on Iran. "They have not articulated a follow-up strategy and contacts with the State Department indicate they have no plans to consult with partners and allies in Europe or the Middle East," Darroch wrote. The White House said it would not comment on the matter.

The information was released after British police on July 12 opened a criminal investigation into the leak of diplomatic cables and confidential reports that British Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch sent to London from 2017 to present. British authorities said they had found the suspect responsible for the leak, but have not yet released his identity.

The leak of Darroch's diplomatic cables has caused tension in US-UK relations. President Trump on July 8 criticized Darroch as "very stupid" and announced that he was breaking off relations with him. The US president also attacked British Prime Minister Theresa May, saying that she had handled the Brexit crisis "terribly, disastrously" and created "a mess".

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt later responded, saying Trump's comments were "disrespectful and wrong" for Prime Minister May and the UK. Darroch resigned as British Ambassador to the US on July 10 because he "wanted to end speculation about his position".

On May 8 last year, President Trump announced his withdrawal from the JCOPA, signed by his predecessor Barack Obama's administration in 2015 with major powers and Iran, because he believed that "this agreement lifted crippling economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for weak restrictions on Tehran's nuclear activities, and no restrictions on other malign behavior, including dangerous activities in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere around the world." Former President Obama later criticized Trump's action as a serious mistake.

Since taking office, Trump has sought to undo some of his predecessor Obama's policies, saying they "didn't work." He has attempted to repeal the Obamacare health care law and withdraw the US from the TPP agreement negotiated under the Obama administration.