Trump administration considers shuttering nearly 30 US overseas embassies, consulates

The Trump administration is weighing a dramatic reduction in America’s diplomatic footprint abroad, with a proposal to close nearly 30 embassies and consulates across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

An internal State Department document obtained by CNN outlines a plan to shutter 10 embassies and 17 consulates, with suggested closures including embassies in Malta, Luxembourg, Lesotho, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan, Caliber.Az reports.

Several consulates in France, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and South Korea are also reportedly on the chopping block.

In addition to the closures, the document recommends scaling down U.S. diplomatic missions in Somalia and Iraq—two countries where the United States has maintained a significant presence due to counterterrorism operations. Other embassies are expected to be “resized” as part of a wider overhaul of the State Department’s global presence.

The proposed reductions align with the broader objectives of the Elon Musk-backed Department of Government Efficiency, which has been pushing for sweeping cuts to federal agencies as part of an effort to streamline operations and reduce government spending. It remains unclear whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio has formally approved the recommendations.

Under the proposal, diplomatic responsibilities of the closed embassies would be transferred to nearby missions. However, foreign policy experts warn that such a move could hinder U.S. engagement in key regions, limit consular services, and weaken America's global influence at a time of rising geopolitical competition.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to comment on the leaked document, stating, “I would suggest that you check with the White House and the President of the US as they continue to work on their budget plan and what they submit to Congress. The kinds of numbers and what we tend to see is reporting that is early or wrong, based on leaked documents from somewhere unknown.”

Notably, the administration has only announced ambassadorial nominees for two of the embassies proposed for closure—Malta and Luxembourg—raising further questions about the long-term viability of these missions.

If implemented, the closures would mark one of the most significant contractions of U.S. diplomatic infrastructure in recent history.

By Khagan Isayev