Major reductions proposed in Europe and Africa; Rubio yet to approve changes

Washington D C, US – The Trump administration is reportedly considering plans to shut down nearly 30 United States embassies and consulates across the globe as part of a sweeping effort to downsize the federal government’s overseas presence, according to a report by CNN on Tuesday.

An internal document from the State Department, outlining recommendations made by the undersecretary for management, suggests closing 10 embassies and 17 consulates, with the majority of affected posts located in Europe and Africa.

Embassies earmarked for closure include those in Malta, Luxembourg, Lesotho, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan. Consulates set to be shuttered include those in France, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Kingdom, South Africa and South Korea.

It remains unclear whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved the proposals. The document reportedly states that the closures would be balanced by transferring responsibilities to nearby missions.

In addition to these closures, the State Department is also said to be exploring the possibility of reducing the size of US diplomatic missions in Iraq and Somalia, while ‘resizing’ others. Recommendations include the establishment of ‘FLEX-style light footprint posts’ with minimal staff and responsibilities, as well as consolidating consulate support services into centralised units at larger missions in countries such as Japan and Canada.

When questioned about the possible closures, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to verify the authenticity of the document or to provide detailed comment.

“I would suggest that you check with the White House and the President of the United States as they continue to work on their budget plan,” Bruce told reporters during the daily briefing.

“The kinds of numbers and what we tend to see is reporting that is early or wrong, based on leaked documents from somewhere unknown,” she added.

If implemented, the plan would mark a significant shift in US diplomatic engagement abroad and could have wide-reaching implications for international relations, especially in regions where the US maintains critical strategic and humanitarian interests.