'Safety risks': US orders non-emergency consular staff to leave Karachi, Lahore as Iran hits back

The United States on Wednesday, March 4, ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel from two of its diplomatic missions in Lahore and Karachi, amid escalating regional tensions triggered by Iran’s widening retaliatory strikes following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the US embassy in Islamabad said the US State Department had instructed non-emergency staff and family members to leave the two Pakistani consulates due to unspecified “safety risks.” The embassy itself will continue normal operations.

The United States also granted permission for non-essential staff to voluntarily depart missions in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Cyprus, citing similar concerns.

The moves come as Iran intensifies its missile and drone attacks across the region, striking a US consulate and military base on Tuesday. The escalation follows the joint United States–Israel strike on Saturday that killed Khamenei -- an operation that occurred just two days after American envoys had met Iranian officials in Geneva to discuss a possible nuclear accord.

Washington has simultaneously been working to assist its citizens wishing to leave the conflict-hit region. On Tuesday, the State Department described its evacuation efforts as “historic,” saying more than 9,000 Americans had returned from the Middle East in recent days, including over 300 from Israel.

US officials and Israeli authorities have said that their forces have continued to hit key sites in Tehran as Iran broadens its retaliatory campaign.