The US ordered non-emergency staff to leave consulates in Pakistan and authorised departures from three other nations amid rising Middle East tensions.

WASHINGTON: The United States has ordered non-emergency staff to leave its consulates in two major Pakistani cities. It also authorised personnel departures from diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Cyprus.

The US State Department cited “safety risks” for the move affecting consulates in Lahore and Karachi. The status of the US embassy in Islamabad remains unchanged.

This follows a US announcement that it was assisting citizens wishing to leave the Middle East. Officials stated over 9,000 American citizens have safely returned from the region in recent days.

The security measures come as Iran retaliates for a US-Israeli raid over the weekend. That attack resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has since expanded missile and drone strikes across the Middle East. These included hits on a US consulate and a military base on Tuesday.

The United States and Israel stated they subsequently targeted key sites inside Tehran. The initial raid occurred just two days after US envoys were discussing a nuclear accord with Iran in Geneva.

 The Sun Malaysia