ISLAMABAD, November 10, 2026 – US President Donald Trump has nominated career diplomat Natalie A. Baker as the next United States ambassador to Pakistan. If confirmed, she would be Washington’s first full ambassador in Islamabad since early 2025.
The White House included the nomination in a list of appointments sent to the US Senate on Monday, November 9, 2026. It describes Baker as a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. The nomination requires Senate confirmation before she can take up the post.
Leading the mission since January 2025
Baker has headed the US Mission in Pakistan as chargé d’affaires since January 2025. She took over after Donald Blome left the ambassador’s post. She first joined the embassy in August 2024 as Deputy Chief of Mission, having held the same position at the US Embassy in Doha, Qatar.
She is not new to Pakistan. She previously served as a consular officer at the US Embassy in Islamabad.
Career in the Middle East and North Africa
Baker’s earlier postings are concentrated in the Middle East and North Africa. From 2009 to 2011 she was Political and Economic Counselor in Libya, while the US-Libya relationship was being restored after nearly three decades of strained ties. She remained there until the US Embassy was evacuated in February 2011, during the Libyan revolution.
Her other assignments include:
- Director of the Office of North African Affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
- Deputy Chief of Mission and chargé d’affaires at the US Mission to Libya.
- Deputy Director of the Iran Regional Presence Office at the US Consulate in Dubai.
- Economic Counselor at the US Embassy in Kuwait. In that role she worked with the US Department of Defense on the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, according to earlier official biographical accounts.
Education
Baker holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She is a 2017 Distinguished Graduate of the National War College at the National Defense University.
Background to the nomination
Blome assumed charge in Islamabad in May 2022, after Senate approval in March that year. He was the first full-time US ambassador to Pakistan since David Hale completed his tenure in August 2018.
The nomination comes as Pakistan and the United States continue diplomatic engagement on trade, investment, security and regional issues. The Senate has not yet announced a hearing date for Baker.
