James Roscoe, the UK's deputy ambassador to the US, has been suddenly dismissed from his post, The Times reported.
According to the newspaper, the dismissal of the second-ranking British diplomat in Washington is related to an investigation into the leak of classified information, discussed at a meeting of the National Security Council. The article states that this leak led to statements by British ministers about war with Iran that have been leaked to the media in recent weeks.
The Times writes that the diplomat's resignation came as a surprise and that embassy staff, who were notified of it by email on May 19, were not given any reasons for the decision.
After the dismissal of Peter Mandelson, a British ambassador who was friends with convicted paedophile American financier Jeffrey Epstein, in September 2025, Roscoe served as head of the diplomatic mission for five months. He played an active role in organising US President Donald Trump's state visit to the UK last year and the return state visit of King Charles III in April 2026.
Roscoe was considered for the ambassadorial post, but the position was ultimately awarded to career diplomat and former UK Permanent Representative to the UN Christian Turner in December 2025.