For Immediate Release
March 4, 2026
Press Contact: Communications & Outreach Director Nikki Gamer | gamer@afsa.org

Washington, D.C. – The American Foreign Service Association’s (AFSA’s) thoughts are with America’s diplomats, their family members, and countless local staff serving in U.S. missions across the Middle East as tensions escalate in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. 

At a chaotic and dangerous moment, America’s diplomatic community is carrying out its mission under extraordinary pressure and risk. Moments like this bring the dangers of diplomatic service into sharp focus. Foreign Service personnel across the region are facing direct threats from hostile actors.  

America asks its diplomats to serve in some of the most dangerous environments in the world. The American people expect the government to do everything possible to ensure their safety as they advance U.S. interests in times of crisis. They must never feel abandoned by the country they represent. 

This crisis exposes real gaps in America’s diplomatic readiness. For months, AFSA has warned that the State Department’s capacity has been weakened by the loss of experienced personnel with critical regional, crisis management, consular, and language expertise, including specialists in Farsi and Arabic—skills that are indispensable in moments like this. 

As tensions rise across the region, such leadership and experience gaps are impossible to ignore. Many critical senior embassy positions are being filled by officials working in an acting capacity. Several embassies on the front lines of this crisis—including those in Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—currently have no confirmed U.S. ambassador, and in several cases no nominee pending. At a moment of escalating regional instability, that absence of Senate-confirmed leadership matters. At the same time, attempts to push through reductions in force have left many of these embassies and the offices that support them critically understaffed. 

The safety of America’s diplomats and their families must remain paramount. America cannot safeguard its national interests if it cannot safeguard the diplomats who advance them. AFSA will continue urging foreign affairs agencies and policymakers to ensure that those serving overseas have the leadership, expertise, and resources they need to carry out their mission safely.