‘It’s shocking how poorly prepared the administration is’: DOGE gutted major energy personnel who warn the U.S. has lost key insights amid Iran war

Key Points:

• Six months before the first U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, the Trump administration dismantled the Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR), a key State Department team specializing in international energy diplomacy, as part of a federal workforce reduction initiative called DOGE.
• Former ENR officials warn that eliminating the bureau removed critical expertise and contacts essential for managing energy disruptions caused by the Iran conflict, including monitoring global oil markets and coordinating with foreign energy ministries and private companies.
• The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict has severely disrupted global oil supply, driving crude prices above $100 per barrel and gas prices above $4 per gallon, with former officials stating that ENR’s insights could have better informed U.S. decision-making and private sector responses.
• ENR’s dissolution resulted in a loss of institutional knowledge and long-term relationships with energy stakeholders, weakening the State Department’s ability to track and respond to energy developments, including China’s energy investments and shifts in global energy flows.
• The State Department claims ENR’s functions have been absorbed into the Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs (EEB), which is coordinating strategic energy responses, but former officials remain critical of the loss of specialized expertise during a period of significant energy instability.