THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 15 State Department Changes Core Precepts In its latest three-year update to promotion and tenure guidelines, released in early July, the State Department added “fidelity” to the core precepts and specifically included “protecting and promoting executive power” and “zealously executing” policy goals as core criteria for evaluating Foreign Service members. The updated core precepts, effective for the 2025–2028 evaluation cycles, apply across all ranks and extend to promotion and performance pay decisions within the Senior Foreign Service. The new standards emphasize loyalty, and FSOs are expected to demonstrate how they align themselves and their teams “quickly and completely” with the administration’s priorities, resolve uncertainty “on the side of fidelity” to leadership, and conform their performance to the strategy goals of political principals. The precept on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which was included in the 2022–2025 precepts, has been removed entirely. AFSA has strongly objected to the changes, warning that they undermine the Foreign Service’s nonpartisan foundation and threaten the merit-based system that has long defined diplomatic professionalism. In social media postings, AFSA highlighted that “officers will now be judged on their willingness to bend to political winds rather than on their skills, expertise, and steadfast dedication to nonpartisan service.” U.S.-Bahrain Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement On July 16, President Trump welcomed Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to the White House, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on civilian nuclear cooperation. The agreement paves the way for a formal “123 agreement” that would allow U.S. companies to help develop nuclear energy infrastructure in Bahrain. “This is an important signing,” said Rubio. “It serves as the first step towards
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