An effort by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to reshape the agency faces an uncertain future but at least one clear legacy, Politico reports: about $12 million spent just for private consultants who in some cases charged the State Department more than $300 an hour.

Tillerson, who was fired by President Donald Trump, aimed to make the department leaner and cheaper, and modernized to the standards of a former CEO, as Politico writes. The report says most of the money has gone to consulting firm Deloitte as part of a pre-existing federal contract whose ceiling was lifted to $265 million. The fate of former Exxon XOM, -2.47% CEO Tillerson’s redesign initiative is likely to come up during a Senate confirmation hearing expected later this month for CIA Director Mike Pompeo, whom Trump has nominated to succeed Tillerson.

Also read:Departing Tillerson: ‘This can be a very mean-spirited town.’

Iran deal pullout prepared: The Associated Press reports that U.S. officials have started to plan for the likelihood that President Trump will announce next month that the U.S. is withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. But, AP writes, no one knows exactly what would happen next or how Iran would respond. Planning is at an early stage but has taken on greater urgency as the clock ticks toward mid-May, when Trump has said he’ll walk away unless his concerns are addressed. The AP says officials are exploring scenarios including how to sell a pullout as the correct strategy, and how aggressively to reimpose U.S. sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the agreement.

Also see:Trump extends sanctions relief for Iran.

Kelly losing influence with Trump: White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has lost significant influence with President Trump, the Hill writes, citing sources within Trump's orbit. The sources told the Hill Trump has proven increasingly resistant to the discipline that Kelly has tried to impose on the White House since he took over from Reince Priebus last summer. Insiders point to personnel changes that have weakened Kelly’s position internally, with like-minded figures such as National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster on the way out.

Now read:Anthony Scaramucci says White House’s turnover rate is typical of a startup.