US orders non-emergency staff to leave Karachi, Lahore consulates citing ‘safety risks’

The United States has ordered the departure of non-emergency staff and family members from its consulates in Karachi and Lahore, citing “safety risks” amid escalating regional tensions following US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation. The directive was issued by the State Department, while the status of the US Embassy in Islamabad remains unchanged.

In a statement, the US Embassy in Pakistan confirmed that non-essential government personnel had been directed to leave the two consular missions as a precautionary measure. Separately, Washington authorised the voluntary departure of staff from its diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Oman, reflecting broader concerns about security in the region.

The move comes days after US-Israeli strikes reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a sharp escalation in hostilities. In the aftermath, protests erupted in parts of Pakistan, with demonstrators attempting to storm the US Consulate in Karachi and clashing with police outside the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad, where the US Embassy is located. United Nations offices in northern cities were also targeted.

According to officials, at least 34 people were killed in clashes with security forces, and more than 120 others were injured. The unrest has added to anxieties about the safety of foreign missions and personnel stationed in the country.

Earlier, the US State Department said it was taking “historic action” to assist citizens wishing to leave the Middle East and return home. It stated that over the past several days, more than 9,000 American citizens had safely returned from the region, including over 300 from Israel.