Layoff notices have been delivered to hundreds of employees at the Voice of America outlet, including the Persian-language service that was called off leave last week to beam news of the Middle East war to residents of Iran.

Reporters and human rights groups say the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media have put dozens of journalists at risk, especially those who defied authoritarian regimes to help fulfill the U.S. mission of delivering uncensored news to parts of the world under repressive rule.