Who is Natalie Baker, nominated as the new US ambassador to Pakistan?

US President Donald Trump has nominated veteran diplomat Natalie Baker to be the next US ambassador to Pakistan, but the appointment now only needs to be confirmed by the US Senate. 

Natalie Baker, a veteran of diplomatic service in the Middle East and North Africa, is currently serving as the acting U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan. She assumed the role in January 2025, when then-Ambassador Donald Bloom stepped down and was given the acting role.

His long diplomatic career includes experience working on various important geopolitical missions in the Middle East and South Asia. From August 2021 to July 2024, he served with great efficiency as the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Doha, the capital of Qatar. 

Previously, from 2009 to 2011, he worked as a political and economic advisor in Libya, helping to normalize bilateral relations between the two countries. 

He later served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Acting Ambassador to Libya. In particular, he remained at the US embassy until the very end, despite the extreme insecurity during the 2011 Libyan revolution.

He also served as Deputy Director of the U.S. Regional Office for Iran in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, and Director of the North Africa Section of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. Earlier in his career, he served as a consular officer in Islamabad, Pakistan, and as a cultural affairs officer in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Trump's nomination of Natalie Baker as ambassador comes at a time when US-Pakistan relations are at a critical juncture in trade, investment, security and various regional strategic issues. If confirmed by the Senate, she will officially take charge of the US mission to Pakistan as ambassador.