State Department cut jobs with deep expertise in Middle East as Iran crisis escalates

U.S. diplomatic response to Iran conflict hampered by staffing cuts and inexperienced leadership, officials say

In the escalating war with Iran, the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs—traditionally at the center of U.S. foreign policy coordination across 18 countries in the region—is facing unprecedented challenges due to staffing cuts and leadership gaps, according to more than a dozen current and former officials.

The bureau, which would normally play a crucial role in navigating the complex geopolitical landscape of a region now scarred by drone and missile strikes, has seen its resources slashed by the Trump administration. The most recent budget initially proposed a 40% cut to the bureau, though Congress ultimately enacted less severe reductions. Adding to these constraints, the administration eliminated the dedicated Iran office, merging it with the Iraq office.

Compounding the situation, the bureau has operated without permanent leadership, with Trump administration appointee Mora Namdar—a lawyer of Iranian descent with limited management experience—initially placed in charge before being reassigned. Namdar’s credentials included her contribution to Project 2025, a conservative think tank’s blueprint for the second Trump administration. By contrast, her last Senate-confirmed predecessor was a career diplomat who had served since 1984 and had been U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs has lost more than 80 staffers, according to internal surveys compiled by a former employee. Currently, four of the five supervisors in the bureau hold temporary titles, while the assistant secretary position remains vacant along with key ambassadorships in the Middle East.

“In the time that I was there, there was no policy process to speak of,” said Chris Backemeyer, a former deputy assistant secretary of state who resigned last year. “They did not want to hear any advice from career people.”

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott vigorously disputed these assessments, stating that staffing reductions “are not having any negative impact on our ability to respond to this operation, our ability to plan, and our ability to execute in service to Americans.”

Throughout the department, more than 3,800 employees have left since Trump took office through reductions in force, deferred resignations, and retirements. The American Foreign Service Association estimates that senior foreign service ranks were disproportionately affected by the layoffs.

The impact of these staffing decisions became apparent when the U.S. appeared caught off guard by Iran’s retaliation following American strikes—something President Trump himself acknowledged this week. “Nobody expected that. We were shocked. They fought back,” Trump told reporters.

Former officials contend that such retaliation was predictable based on previous wargames and conflict models. Typically, the National Security Council would have presented the president with analysis from experts throughout the bureaucracy, but Trump has significantly reduced its size.

“He’s making choices without the larger expertise of the United States government that would flag issues of consequence,” said Max Stier, CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service.

The White House defended its approach, with spokesperson Dylan Johnson stating: “In the Trump Administration, decisions are made by President Trump and senior administration officials and not by no-name bureaucrat leakers who whine to the press about not being consulted about highly classified operations.”

Evacuation planning for Americans in the region has also faced criticism. When the U.S. struck Iran, Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee offered embassy staff in Jerusalem the opportunity to evacuate, but similar arrangements weren’t made at other embassies in the region.

Mora Namdar, now heading consular affairs—the division responsible for assisting Americans overseas—only issued evacuation guidance several days into the conflict, when airspace was largely closed and commercial flights limited.

“The messaging that went out to American citizens—after the U.S. struck Iran—was woefully late and, initially, confusing,” said Yael Lempert, who served as U.S. ambassador to Jordan until 2025.

The State Department counters that it has offered assistance to nearly 50,000 Americans impacted by the conflict, with more than 60 evacuation flights. In total, the department claims more than 70,000 Americans have returned home since hostilities began on February 28.

Language expertise has also diminished. Thirteen Arabic speakers and four Farsi speakers, all trained at taxpayer expense, were among employees let go, according to a draft letter being circulated by former foreign service officers. With language training costing approximately $200,000 per officer, the letter estimates that fired employees received more than $35 million in language training and over $100 million in total career development.

In response to the crisis, the State Department has established two temporary task forces—one to support Near East Affairs and another to assist with evacuations. Meanwhile, about 250 foreign service officers included in last year’s reduction-in-force but still on payroll have volunteered to return to help, though the department says its task force is “fully staffed.”

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed concern: “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.”