DOGE Cuts to State Department Energy Bureau Left US Without Key Intelligence Before Iran War

The Trump administration eliminated the State Department's Bureau of Energy Resources in July 2025 as part of DOGE cost-cutting, removing an 80-person team that managed relationships with foreign energy ministries and monitored global oil supply vulnerabilities. Six months later, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and oil above $100 per barrel, former officials warn the administration lacks critical intelligence about energy market disruptions. The State Department maintains that energy policy teams are performing better under the restructured Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs.