AP NewsWatch

0:00I'm Ben Thomas with an AP News Minute. The Iran War is exposing big gaps at the State Department, especially in its Middle East Bureau. Byron Tao has a closer look. In the middle of an international crisis like the War with Iran, the State Department would usually be at the center of the action. But interviews with more than a dozen current and former officials say that the department is understaffed, demoralized, and struggling to fulfill its basic functions. More than 4,000 employees have left the department since the beginning of 2025. The State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs would typically be responsible for American diplomacy in the wider Middle East. But that Bureau doesn't have a current Senate-confirmed head, and a lot of its mid-level managers are much more junior than they were under the Biden administration. In addition, the Middle East region is lacking a number of important ambassadorship. These losses are having a profound impact on the department's ability to deliver services to American citizens and to advise policymakers. Again, that's the Peace Byron Tao, and I'm Ben Thomas.