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U.S. to Permanently Close Peshawar Consulate, Consolidating Operations in Islamabad

The State Department says shifting services to the embassy will cut costs without harming core U.S. interests.

US Consulate in Peshawar | Image: AIR
Paramilitary soldiers and police officers walk past a burning police's armoured vehicle, which was set on fire by Shiite Muslims during a protest over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Farooq)
Shiite Muslims burn representation of U.S. Indian and Israeli flags during a procession, in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)
Muslim worshippers arrive to observes "Itikaf," during the last ten days of the Islamic fasting on month of Ramadan, at a mosque, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)

Overview

  • The department formally notified Congress this week that it will shut the Peshawar post, the closest U.S. mission to the Afghan border.
  • Officials project roughly $7.5 million in annual savings and about $3 million in one-time closure costs.
  • More than $1.8 million of the closure budget will relocate armored office trailers, with vehicles, electronics and furniture reassigned to Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.
  • Consular services and program oversight will move to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, which will handle assistance for citizens in northwestern Pakistan.
  • The consulate, staffed by 18 U.S. personnel and 89 local employees, has long served as a logistics hub for Afghanistan, and officials say the decision reflects a prolonged downsizing effort unrelated to Iran-related protests.