WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) - The State Department began firing more than 1,350 U.S.-based employees on Friday as the administration of President Donald Trump presses ahead with an unprecedented overhaul of its diplomatic corps, a move critics say will undermine U.S. ability to defend and promote U.S. interests abroad.

United States Department of State. State Department enacts widespread layoffs, cutting 1,353 staff ... joins "America Decides" to unpack the findings.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department fired more than 1,300 employees on Friday in line with a dramatic reorganization plan from the Trump administration that critics say will damage America’s global leadership and efforts to counter threats abroad.

In 2018, two Iranian men — one a dual US citizen, the other a California resident — were indicted for “conducting covert surveillance” in the United States on behalf of the regime.

The United States multi-country office in Washington covers the United States and 18 Caribbean States and overseas territories. It maintains relationships on global, regional, and domestic refugee and statelessness issues with key government partners and counterparts, including the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice.