DOGE cut the State Department's oil and gas experts just months before war in Iran sent prices through the roof, report
Source: The Independent
Tuesday 17 March 2026 17:18 EDT
Oil and gas experts at the State Department were fired just months before President Donald Trump launched his war against Iran, which has sent energy prices through the roof, according to a new report.
In July — during a wave of federal job cuts led by the Department of Government Efficiency — the State Department dismissed staffers who maintained key ties with oil and gas companies in the Middle East region, NOTUS reported on Tuesday, citing nine former government officials.
Also let go were those tasked with preparing for possible disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery of international trade through which 20 percent of the world’s oil flows. Last summer’s layoffs cut roughly 1,300 positions at the State Department, with the Bureau of Energy Resources reportedly reduced to just those working on clean energy and critical minerals.
The former officials — who spoke on condition of anonymity — accused the Trump administration of being woefully unprepared to handle the knock-on effects of the Iran war, which is now in its third week. “Before any of this should have happened, there should have been discussion about what are the implications of this, and what happens when the Strait of Hormuz turns off,” a former Bureau of Energy Resources employee said.
Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/oil-gas-experts-fired-doge-iran-war-b2940511.html
Link to NOTUS REPORT - Trump’s DOGE Cuts Slashed Staff That Handled Middle Eastern Oil and Gas Crises
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