&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US shuts Consulate General in Pakistan's Peshawar, citing staff safety")
The United States has officially closed its Consulate General in Peshawar, with diplomatic responsibilities for Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province now being handled by the US Embassy in Islamabad.
The closure follows a decision announced by the US Department of State on May 6, when it said the mission would be shut in phases to protect diplomatic personnel and improve resource management.
Despite ending its physical presence in Peshawar, Washington said its engagement with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would continue through other channels.
“The US Department of State is announcing the phased closure of the US Consulate General in Peshawar. Responsibility for diplomatic engagement with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will transfer to the US Embassy in Islamabad. This decision reflects our commitment to the safety of our diplomatic personnel and efficient resource management,” the US Department of State said on May 6, while making the announcement.
The department added that the decision does not indicate any shift in the United States' priorities in Pakistan.
Closure follows a heightened security situation
The move came after months of heightened security concerns across Pakistan.
On March 1, protests erupted after US-Israeli strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Clashes between demonstrators and Pakistani law enforcement personnel near the US Consulate in Karachi left at least nine people dead.
Also Read: Watch | PM Modi dials Skyroot founders after successful Vikram-1 launch; here's what he told them
Two days later, on March 3, the US Department of State ordered non-emergency government employees and eligible family members stationed at its consulates in Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan because of security concerns.
Earlier, the department had warned of possible drone and missile attacks from Iran and cautioned that hostilities between the United States and Iran, which began on February 28, could disrupt commercial air travel.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
In a separate advisory, the State Department highlighted the continuing threat of terrorist violence across Pakistan. It said violent extremist groups have carried out attacks, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas, while major cities such as Karachi and Islamabad have also witnessed such incidents.
