![Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff]() Urs Flueeler/ReutersAs Trump relies on special envoys to conduct diplomacy in the Middle East, ambassadorial posts in the region remain vacant, reports Semafor’s Lauren Morganbesser. The conflict with Iran has ensnared a dozen Middle Eastern countries that have normalized relations with the US, and half of them lack a Senate-confirmed US ambassador. Former ambassadors who have served in administrations of both parties told Semafor that they fear the vacancies have made it more difficult for the US to communicate with allies during a rapidly evolving war. “If you take the countries most affected by the war,” said Barbara Leaf, who served as US ambassador to the UAE, “none of them have ever been confronted with a situation where there were so few people to reach in … who could tell them what’s going on or through whom they might convey their concerns.” |