The State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs would typically lead United States diplomacy during a major conflict involving Iran and its neighbors. Instead, as fighting spreads across the region, the bureau is operating with significant staffing cuts, leadership vacancies and a reduced budget. The administration proposed a 40 percent reduction to the bureau and eliminated the dedicated Iran office, merging it with the Iraq office, while dozens of experienced officials have departed.

More than 3,800 employees have left the State Department since President Donald Trump took office, with senior ranks disproportionately affected. Key posts, including the assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs and several ambassadorships, remain unfilled or temporarily staffed. Current and former officials say decision-making has been concentrated within a small circle close to the president, limiting broader policy input and long-term planning.

Critics argue that the hollowed-out workforce has complicated efforts to coordinate regional policy and evacuate Americans as the conflict intensifies. Some former diplomats describe delayed and confusing public guidance, while the department disputes those claims and says it has successfully assisted tens of thousands of Americans and organized dozens of evacuation flights since hostilities began. The administration maintains that staffing reductions have not hindered its response to the crisis.