Reports of a shortage of Middle East staff at the US State Department due to mass layoffs are untrue, said Tommy Pigott, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the Department of State.

“As we told AP ahead of time, this story is not based in reality, but they wouldn't be deterred by the facts. We gave them detailed responses, but instead, they relied on vague and inaccurate criticism from unnamed or outside sources,” Pigott wrote on X.

And Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, noted on X that none of the State Department staffers who disseminate information about Iran or other key countries in the Middle East had been affected by the Department staff cuts.

Earlier, AP reported that the US State Department's staff cuts in 2025 had left the agency facing a significant shortage of Middle East specialists, which is negatively affecting the country's foreign policy in the region. The AP added that these cuts could disrupt the Department's planning for action against Iran. According to the AP, more than 3,800 employees have been laid off since Donald Trump took office as US President in January 2025.