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Americans in the Middle East should follow the latest guidance from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and can contact the U.S. Department of State to receive information or assistance.

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About the U.S. Department of State

Our Mission

To protect and promote U.S. security, prosperity, and democratic values and shape an international environment in which all Americans can thrive.

Foreign Affairs Manual and Handbook
The FAM and FAH govern how we do our work.

Agency Strategic Plan
Guides how the State Department implements U.S. foreign policy and foreign assistance.

The State Department has an impact on Americans’ lives at home and abroad.

Learn about our Domestic Impact

Leadership

The Treaty Room [State Department Image - Chris Stump]

Secretary of State

The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service, and U.S. Agency for International Development.

Reception Rooms, U.S. Dept. of State [State Department Image - Chris Stump]

Deputy Secretary of State

Serves as the principal deputy, adviser, and alter ego to the Secretary of State; and assists the Secretary in the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy and in giving general supervision and direction to all elements of the Department.

Reception Rooms, U.S. Dept. of State [State Department Image - Chris Stump]

Biographies of Senior Officials

Find biographies of officials serving in positions domestically from Deputy Assistant Secretaries up to the Secretary of State.

Our History

The first Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, oversaw a small staff of one chief clerk, three other clerks, a translator, and a messenger. They maintained only two diplomatic posts, in London and Paris, as well as 10 consular posts.

Our role has also changed in response to changing global circumstances. At one time, the State Department was responsible for a number of domestic duties ranging from publication of the census to control of copyright to management of the Mint. We now work to fight terrorism, protect U.S. interests abroad, and implement foreign policy initiatives while building a more free, prosperous, and secure world.

Explore our other websites for a more in-depth look at the State Department’s history and the impact of our work through the years and today.

Treaty of Amity and Commerce Benjamin Franklin secures The Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and France, the first of two treaties signed on February 6, 1778, which recognized the de facto independence of the United States. Reproduction of a painting by Charles Elliott Mills. Photo credit: Library of Congress

History.State.Gov

Provides in-depth information to the public on the history of U.S. foreign policy. In addition to a full text archive of the Foreign Relations series, the website includes valuable encyclopedic content on the history of U.S. relations with states around the world, and a database of the Department’s principal officers and chiefs of mission.

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The National Museum of American Diplomacy

This new museum, located at our headquarters in Washington, DC, tells the story of the history, practice, and challenges of American diplomacy. Through exhibitions and programs, it inspires the American public to discover diplomacy and how it impacts their lives every day.

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Art in Embassies

Art in Embassies creates vital cross-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding through the visual arts and dynamic artist exchanges. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) initiated exhibitions of contemporary art for U.S. embassy residences in 1953. Ten years later, President John F. Kennedy established our Art in Embassies office.

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Diplomatic Reception Rooms

For fifty years, the art of diplomacy has thrived in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms against a stunning backdrop of American art and architecture from the time of our country’s founding and of its formative years. In these State Rooms, the United States signs treaties, conducts summit negotiations, hosts swearing-in ceremonies, facilitates trade agreements, and promotes peace.

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