US President Donald Trump has nominated career diplomat Natalie Baker to serve as the next US ambassador to Pakistan. According to a White House announcement on November 10, 2026, Baker is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counsellor. Her appointment is now awaiting Senate confirmation.
Baker is currently the permanent Chargé d’Affaires to Pakistan, a role she was given last month. She had previously served as the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in January 2025 following the departure of the previous ambassador, Donald Blome. Her nomination seeks to end a nearly two-year gap in the country’s top US diplomatic post.
Baker's experience in Pakistan predates her current role, as she previously served as a Consular Officer in Islamabad. She arrived in Pakistan in August 2024 as Deputy Chief of Mission. During her time in the country, she has engaged with Pakistani officials on trade, investment, security, and regional issues. She has also expressed an interest in local culture, noting she has attended matches and played cricket with female cricketers in Lahore. She has also developed a taste for Pakistani cuisine, specifically mentioning palak paneer and dal.
Prior to her current posting, Baker served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US embassy in Doha, Qatar, from August 2021 to July 2024. Her career includes several other international assignments:
Libya (2009–2011): Served as Political and Economic Counsellor during the normalization of relations until the 2011 revolution forced an embassy evacuation.
Kuwait: Served as Economic Counsellor, where she worked with the US Department of Defense to support the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.
Dubai: Served as Deputy Director of the Iran Regional Presence Office at the US Consulate.
Turkmenistan: Served as a Cultural Affairs Officer in Ashgabat.
Baker holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She was a 2017 Distinguished Graduate of the National War College at the National Defence University. She is also proficient in Arabic, Spanish, Farsi, and Russian.
