KABUL: The United States Department of State has announced that the U.S. consulate in Peshawar will be permanently closed.
The Associated Press reported early Thursday that the closure is part of a broader effort to downsize U.S. diplomatic missions worldwide, an initiative launched about a year ago by the Trump administration.
The department said shutting down the consulate will save approximately $7.5 million annually in operating costs without harming U.S. interests.
Following the closure, consular services previously handled in Peshawar will be managed by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the country’s consulates in Karachi and Lahore.
According to the statement, the Peshawar consulate currently employs 18 U.S. diplomats and government staff along with 89 locally hired employees.
Although the report emphasized that the decision is unrelated to the ongoing tensions involving Iran, the closure comes at a time when the United States is engaged in heightened regional conflict.