State Department Faces Staffing Gaps as Iran Crisis Escalates

Cuts to Middle East expertise and management changes hamper the department's ability to respond effectively.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 5:22am

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The widening war in Iran is exposing staffing gaps at the State Department, especially in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs that handles the Middle East. The Trump administration has cut more than 80 staffers from the bureau, eliminated the dedicated Iran office, and left key positions vacant. This has limited the department's ability to coordinate U.S. foreign policy and respond to the crisis, according to current and former officials. Decisions are now made by a small group close to the president without input from experienced career diplomats, whose advice often went unheeded. The department disputes these assessments, but the loss of veteran personnel has undermined the department's capacity to protect Americans abroad as the conflict escalates.

Why it matters

The State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs would typically be at the center of the response to the widening conflict with Iran. However, staffing cuts and management changes have hampered the department's ability to coordinate U.S. foreign policy and handle the crisis effectively. This raises concerns about the government's capacity to respond to global emergencies when key expertise and institutional knowledge have been diminished.

The details

The Trump administration proposed a 40% cut to the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, though Congress enacted less dramatic reductions. The administration also eliminated the dedicated Iran office, merging it with the Iraq office. More than 80 staffers were cut from the bureau, and the assistant secretary position overseeing Near Eastern Affairs has been left vacant, along with key ambassadorships in the Middle East. Four of the five supervisors in the bureau have temporary titles. Numerous veteran diplomats with decades of experience were fired, retired or reassigned, replaced by more junior officials or political appointees. Current and former officials say their analysis, recommendations and advice often went unheeded, with decisions made by a small group close to the president.

  • The Trump administration's staffing cuts and management changes at the State Department have been ongoing since 2017.

The players

Mora Namdar

A lawyer of Iranian descent with limited management experience who was temporarily put in charge of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs before being moved to a different post.

Marco Rubio

The current Secretary of State who also serves as the president's national security adviser.

Yael Lempert

A former U.S. ambassador to Jordan who is expected to speak about the State Department's failures at an event hosted by the American Academy of Diplomacy.

Jeanne Shaheen

The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who criticized the loss of experienced personnel through staffing reductions as undermining the Bureau of Consular Affairs' ability to protect Americans abroad.

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What they’re saying

“In the time that I was there, there was no policy process to speak of. They did not want to hear any advice from career people.”

— Chris Backemeyer, Former deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs

“The messaging that went out to American citizens — after the U.S. struck Iran — was woefully late and, initially, confusing.”

— Yael Lempert, Former U.S. ambassador to Jordan

“The loss of experienced personnel through these RIFs has clearly undermined the Bureau of Consular Affairs' ability to fulfill its most important mission, to protect Americans abroad.”

— Jeanne Shaheen, Top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

What’s next

The State Department has set up two temporary task forces to deal with the crisis in the Middle East, one to bolster the capacities of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and another to help the Bureau of Consular Affairs evacuate Americans. A group of more than 250 former Foreign Service officers who were part of the administration's reduction-in-force last year have volunteered to return to the department to work on the task forces or take on other jobs as needed.

The takeaway

The State Department's staffing cuts and management changes have left the department ill-equipped to handle the escalating crisis in Iran, exposing gaps in expertise and institutional knowledge that are critical for coordinating an effective foreign policy response and protecting American citizens abroad. This case highlights the risks of diminishing the capacity of the federal bureaucracy, even in the face of a major global emergency.