Trump seeks to close 30 U.S. diplomatic posts

According to an internal U.S. State Department document obtained by CNN, the Donald Trump administration is reviewing the closure of approximately 30 embassies and consulates in various countries. The document also proposes reducing the U.S. diplomatic presence in Somalia and Iraq and resizing other diplomatic posts.

Embassies and consulates play a critical role in services such as visa issuance, assisting U.S. citizens, and gathering intelligence for Washington, and are considered vital diplomatic tools for countering countries like China, according to officials.

The CNN-obtained document indicates Trump has proposed closing 10 embassies in countries including Malta, Luxembourg, Lesotho, Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan, as well as 17 consulates in countries such as France, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and South Korea. The functions of closed embassies would be transferred to diplomatic posts in neighboring countries.

These changes align with broader State Department reforms and efforts by Elon Musk to downsize the federal government. It remains unclear whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved these closures.