USFK raises security threat levels amid Israel-Iran conflict

US military bases in South Korea have raised the security protection measures by one notch amid an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran that has fueled concerns of a wider war in the Middle East.

“All installations across U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility have raised their Force Protection Condition (FPCON) level from Alpha to Bravo as a precautionary measure,” the USFK said in a statement shared social media platform X.

The USFK, however, did not cite reasons why the FPCON level was raised.

The US Indo-Pacific Command released a similar statement via its official website on Saturday, saying that all installations across the US Indo-Pacific Command area have raised their FPCON level.

“While there is no specific threat to the region at this time, this change reflects a general increase in vigilance in alignment with Department of Defense security protocols,” it explained.

However, a USFK official, requesting anonymity, told The Korea Herald on Tuesday that the FPCON level of the US troops here has remained at Bravo "for the past year." The official did not explain the reason behind the gap in the USFK's statement and his remarks. "We do not usually share information about the USFK's FPCON level with the press," the official explained.

The US military’s move to bolster the security measures for the 28,500-strong USFK comes as the conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its fifth day, with both sides firing missiles at each other.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry has issued a special travel advisory for all of Iran and urged its nationals to leave the country immediately.

Bravo, which is the third-highest of five security protection levels for service members, is applied when increased and more predictable threats exist, compared to Alpha.

There are currently nine major US military bases in South Korea.