PESHAWAR, May 6, 2026 (Reuters) – The United States will close its consulate in ​Pakistan’s Peshawar, citing the safety of its diplomats, the State Department said in a statement published on Tuesday.

The US embassy in ‌Islamabad will ‌handle all ​diplomatic engagement ‌with ⁠Khyber ​Pakhtunkhwa province, ⁠where Peshawar is the capital, the State Department said.

“This decision reflects our commitment to the safety of ⁠our diplomatic personnel and ‌efficient ‌resource management,” the statement ​said.

Khyber ‌Pakhtunkhwa borders Afghanistan, and ‌has seen attacks and fierce fighting between Pakistan forces and what Islamabad says are ‌Afghan-backed militants.

Ten people were killed in March ⁠when ⁠protesters breached the outer wall of the US consulate in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes on Iran.