The United States has ordered a partial evacuation of non-essential government personnel and their families from its consulates in Karachi and Lahore due to escalating security concerns, the US State Department confirmed on Wednesday.
According to the US Mission in Pakistan, the directive applies specifically to non-emergency staff members and their families stationed at the US Consulates in Karachi and Lahore. Officials clarified that the operational status of the US Embassy in Islamabad remains unchanged.
The precautionary move comes amid heightened regional tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The conflict intensified after US and Israeli forces launched airstrikes targeting Iranian positions, which were followed by retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Iran on what it described as US interests and military bases across several Gulf states.
Iranian authorities reported that multiple senior figures were killed during the strikes, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. US officials also confirmed that six American service members lost their lives during the ongoing conflict.
Iran’s leadership warned that the killing of Khamenei would mark a critical turning point, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pledging strong retaliation and declaring that the strikes would not go unanswered.
The regional tensions have also triggered unrest in Pakistan. In Karachi, large protests erupted outside the US Consulate, where demonstrators reportedly breached the compound’s outer wall and caused property damage. Reports indicated that at least 11 people were killed during the unrest.
Earlier reports from Reuters suggested that US Marines discharged their weapons as protesters attempted to storm the consulate compound over the weekend. However, officials stated that it remains unclear whether any of the shots fired directly caused casualties.
In response to the deteriorating security environment, the US Embassy in Islamabad and the consulates in Karachi and Lahore have temporarily suspended visa processing and American Citizen Services (ACS).
Initially, all visa and ACS appointments scheduled for March 2 were cancelled across Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Authorities later extended the suspension through Friday, March 6, while routine visa services remain paused during this period.
Officials said affected applicants would be notified about rescheduling procedures, although no further details about the specific security threats prompting the evacuation and service suspension have been publicly disclosed.
