Trump administration weighs shutting 30 embassies in key regions including Iraq, UK, Germany

The Trump administration is reportedly contemplating the closure of nearly 30 United States embassies and consulates worldwide, marking a significant potential shift in America’s diplomatic posture. According to an internal State Department document obtained by CNN, the proposal recommends shuttering 10 embassies and 17 consulates, with the majority of the affected posts located in Europe and Africa, but also including missions in Asia and the Caribbean.

Among the embassies earmarked for closure are those in Malta, Luxembourg, Lesotho, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. The consulates recommended for closure include five in France, two in Germany, two in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as posts in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and South Korea.

The document suggests that the responsibilities of these closed missions would be assumed by neighbouring embassies, thereby consolidating the United States’ overseas presence.

The proposals form part of a broader anticipated overhaul of the State Department, driven by the Elon Musk-backed Department of Government Efficiency. This initiative is aimed at dramatically reducing the size and cost of the federal government’s international operations. Notably, the document also advises reducing the American diplomatic footprint in Iraq and Somalia—countries that have been central to US counterterrorism efforts—and “resizing” other missions, possibly by implementing “FLEX-style” posts with minimal staffing and consolidating consular support at larger missions such as those in Japan and Canada.

At present, it remains unclear whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio has given formal approval to these recommendations. The administration has only announced ambassadorial nominees for two of the embassies slated for closure—Malta and Luxembourg. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to comment on the leaked document or the broader plans to downsize, urging enquiries to be directed to the White House as budget deliberations continue.

The potential closures have sparked concern given the vital role embassies and consulates play in providing consular services, supporting American citizens abroad, and serving as key instruments of US foreign policy, particularly in an era marked by strategic competition with global powers such as China.

— Adapted from CNN reporting