The State Department is looking to close dozens of embassies and consulates overseas as part of its effort to dramatically reduce the United States’ diplomatic presence abroad, according to internal documents obtained by CNN.
The information, part of the FY 2026 budget proposal, proposes sweeping changes that are apparently meant to reduce federal spending – a goal of the Department of Government Efficiency and senior adviser Elon Musk.
It recommends closing 10 embassies and 17 consulates – many in Europe and Africa – and consolidating them into embassies in nearby countries, Punchbowl reported.
It also recommends consolidating outposts in countries such as Japan and Canada, and reducing U.S. diplomatic missions in countries such as Somalia and Iraq, CNN reported.
The proposed changes were made “based on feedback from regional bureaus and the interagency, consular workload, cost per billet, condition of facilities and security ratings,” the memos say, according to Punchbowl.
It’s unclear if Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed off on the proposed closures.
A State Department spokesperson said in a statement to The Independent: “No embassy or consulate closures have been announced, and operations continue as normal. The State Department continues to assess our global programs and posture to ensure we are best positioned to address modern challenges on behalf of the American people.”
The Independent has asked the White House for comment.
Of the suggested consulates to close, the proposal names five in France, two in Germany, one in Edinburgh, Scotland and another in Florence, Italy.
It also recommends downsizing consulates in Montreal and Halifax, Canada.
Among embassies, it recommends shuttering those in Eritrea, Luxembourg, Malta and South Sudan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced he would revoke visas for the people of South Sudan.
Other suggestions include reducing the U.S. presence in Mogadishu, Somalia and closing the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center.
The news arrives on the heels of other reports that suggest the Trump administration is preparing to ask Congress to slash the State Department budget and the U.S. Agency for International Development by nearly half, from $54.4 billion to $28.4 billion.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce warned on Tuesday that the “kinds of numbers and what we tend to see is reporting that is early or wrong, based on leaked documents from somewhere unknown.”
Bruce said it would ultimately be up to the White House and President Donald Trump to decide what budget to submit to Congress.
