The State Department is asking US embassies in the Middle East to create plans to continue operating with a small number of staff on the ground, sources told CNN, as the war with Iran shows no signs of resolution. Additionally, personnel who have been displaced from their posts in the Middle East are increasingly being given the option to curtail their assignments, the sources said.
Background
The plans have not been finalized, the sources said, and it is unclear if they will be implemented at all of the embassies that are currently on reduced staffing. Still, the developments underscore that the State Department does not expect to return to normal staffing in the region soon amid the looming threat of a full-scale return to war.
A State Department spokesperson told CNN that they “do not discuss internal deliberations or post-specific contingency planning,” but noted that the department “continually reviews the security and staffing posture at every diplomatic mission based on conditions on the ground and adjusts personnel levels as appropriate.”
Impact on Diplomats and Families
The sudden drawdown in staffing left diplomats and family members, many of whom had years left on their assignments, scrambling to find housing and to enroll their children in school back in the US. However, because it was unclear how long embassies would operate with reduced staffing, families couldn’t make longer-term commitments when they returned home.
One diplomatic spouse said their family has been “hopping around to different housing situations this whole time,” because they couldn’t risk the potential financial repercussions of signing a long-term lease and breaking it.
The diplomatic spouse told CNN they feel “a tremendous sadness” for “the people we care about and the work that we’re part of” in the region.
Restrictions and Consequences
Under State Department rules, diplomatic posts cannot have their “ordered departure” status extended for more than 180 days. Once that limit is reached, if they are unable to return to normal status, they switch to “restricted operations,” which includes caps on in-country staffing.
The State Department spokesperson said the department remains “committed to supporting our workforce and their families throughout this process and will provide updates through appropriate channels as decisions are made.”
The restricted operations status will likely mean no children and few spouses will be allowed to return, sources said. This could impact the State Department’s ability to provide quick consular assistance to Americans abroad and to advance the administration’s priorities, former diplomats said.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
