US Mission Temporarily Shuts Peshawar Consulate Amid Pro-Iran Protests In Pakistan

Last Updated:March 03, 2026, 01:15 IST

Washington shut the Peshawar consulate and limited staff movements nationwide, advising Americans in Pakistan to avoid crowds and monitor local updates.

The United States on Monday issued a security alert for Pakistan, announcing that its Consulate General in Peshawar has temporarily suspended operations effective March 2, while advising American citizens to exercise heightened caution.

In the alert, the US Mission to Pakistan said the US Embassy in Islamabad will continue to provide routine and emergency consular services for US citizens during the suspension.

The mission also said that due to continued disruptions and traffic diversions around the US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, both facilities cancelled all visa and American Citizen Services appointments for Tuesday, March 3. The embassy in Islamabad is expected to resume normal consular operations on the same day.

“US citizens should be aware that effective March 2, the U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar has temporarily suspended operations. The US Embassy in Islamabad will continue to provide all routine or emergency consular services for US citizens," the US Embassy in Pakistan said in a statement.

US authorities added that the embassy in Islamabad and consulates in Karachi and Lahore have limited movements for US government personnel across the country. American citizens were advised to monitor local news, remain aware of their surroundings, avoid large gatherings and ensure their enrolment in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program is up to date.

The alert comes amid heightened tensions following violent protests across Pakistan over the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in recent US-Israeli strikes.

According to an AFP tally, at least 25 people have died in clashes linked to demonstrations held over the weekend in multiple cities. In Karachi, hundreds of protesters attempted to storm American diplomatic buildings and clashed with police, with at least 10 people killed and more than 70 injured, officials said.

In the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, officials reported at least 13 deaths in confrontations between protesters and security forces, including seven in Gilgit and six in Skardu. Authorities imposed a late-night curfew in both cities and deployed the army to maintain order.

Two additional deaths were reported in the capital Islamabad, where thousands gathered in demonstrations, many holding portraits of Khamenei. Police fired tear gas near the diplomatic enclave housing the US embassy to disperse crowds, AFP journalists reported.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the killing of Khamenei as a “violation" of international law, saying Pakistan stood with Iran in its “hour of grief and sorrow".

Protests in Karachi saw demonstrators chant slogans against the United States and Israel, with some breaching the main gate of the US consulate compound and damaging property before police intervened with tear gas.

The United States and Britain have both urged their citizens in Pakistan to remain cautious as authorities monitor the evolving security situation.

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