Raised Alerts
Live DEFCON readiness status and priority alerts from commands at elevated levels.
What Are Raised Alerts?
Defcon Level tracks 14 commands: 11 official U.S. Combatant Commands and 3 monitoring commands (biological threats, natural disasters, and financial stability). Each carries an OSINT-estimated DEFCON readiness level from DEFCON 5 (normal peacetime) to DEFCON 1 (maximum readiness). When a command's estimated level is below DEFCON 5, it is considered "raised." This page shows only alerts from commands currently at raised status.
Alerts are grouped by priority. Breaking alerts cover fast-moving situations that may update within hours. Critical alerts address time-sensitive military or geopolitical developments with potential for escalation. High alerts track significant events affecting regional stability. Each alert is sourced from official statements, government public affairs offices, allied communications, and verified open-source intelligence.
The command grid below shows the current readiness level for every tracked command. The nuclear risk level is assessed separately from individual command readiness and appears below the command grid.
For all alerts including standard-priority updates from commands at normal readiness, visit the main Alerts page. For a breakdown of the indicators behind each command's current readiness estimate, see Raised Levels.
Energy Markets and Global Trade Corridors
CENTCOM's area of responsibility covers the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of global petroleum liquids transit each year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. USPACOM's area of responsibility includes the South China Sea, through which an estimated one-third of global seaborne trade passes annually, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Together, these regions encompass several of the world's most significant maritime energy and trade corridors.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration tracks conditions in both regions as part of its global petroleum supply monitoring, publishing regular assessments of chokepoint risk for energy transit. CISA maintains a public advisory feed at cisa.gov covering active cyber threats to critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, transportation, and financial systems. Current commodity prices, defense sector data, and financial impact analysis are available on the Financial Alerts page.
Current Command Readiness Levels
14 Commands RaisedCurrent OSINT-estimated DEFCON levels for all 14 tracked commands. Commands below DEFCON 5 are considered raised, reflecting open-source indicators that suggest elevated regional readiness. These are estimates, not official government data. Select any command for details and regional alerts.
Geographic Commands
AFRICOM
Africa Command
Raised
CENTCOM
Central Command
Raised
EUCOM
European Command
Raised
INDOPACOM
U.S. Pacific Command
Raised
NORTHCOM
Northern Command
Raised
SOUTHCOM
Southern Command
RaisedFunctional Commands
Current Nuclear Risk Level (OSINT Estimate)
Increased intelligence watch and strengthened security measures. Above normal readiness.
This is an OSINT estimate. Confirmed nuclear readiness status is classified and not publicly released. Assessment derived from open-source intelligence, official government statements, and publicly available data.
Civilian Readiness During Elevated Conditions
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that households maintain emergency supply kits covering a minimum of 72 hours of water, food, medications, and critical documents, as a baseline measure independent of current threat conditions. Ready.gov provides standardized checklists covering shelter-in-place procedures, evacuation planning, and family communication protocols. Supply chain status and preparedness guidance by threat level are available on the Preparedness page.
Emergency preparedness planning covers both physical supplies and financial readiness, including emergency fund sizing and insurance coverage for extended disruption scenarios. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provides household financial preparedness guidance at consumerfinance.gov and recommends maintaining liquid reserves covering three to six months of essential expenses. Asset protection strategies and portfolio considerations during periods of geopolitical instability are covered on the Financial Readiness page.
Raised Readiness Alerts
The following alerts are from commands currently operating at elevated readiness (below DEFCON 5). Alerts are grouped by priority: Breaking, Critical, High, and Standard.
BREAKING Breaking Alerts
UK: Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre Raises UK National Threat Level to SEVERE, U.S. Embassy London Advises American Citizens to Exercise Increased Caution
UNITED KINGDOM - The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre raised the United Kingdom national terrorism threat level from SUBSTANTIAL to SEVERE on April 30, according to its official assessment, meaning a terrorist attack is highly likely....
Romania Activates RO-Alert Near Romania-Ukraine Border Following Detection of Russian Drones
ROMANIA - On the morning of May 1, Romanian authorities issued a RO-Alert notification to residents in the northern part of Tulcea County following the detection of a group of nine drones transiting toward Ukrainian airspace near Romania’s river border....
Iran Activates Air Defenses in Tehran Against Suspected Small Drones
IRAN - Air defense systems activated across multiple districts of Tehran late on April 30 with reports of firing sounds and explosions heard in western, central, southeastern, and southern areas of the capital. We are currently monitoring reports, an update will be posted if there are further develo...
U.S. Central Command Boards Commercial Vessel in Arabian Sea to Enforce Iranian Port Blockade
ARABIAN SEA - U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded the commercial vessel M/V Blue Star III on April 28 after it was suspected of attempting to transit to an Iranian port in violation of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports....
Trump: Shooter Apprehended At Washington Hilton hotel
WHITE HOUSE - We are actively monitoring reports of gunfire at the White House and an ongoing evacuation. Status: Confirmed. U....
U.S. Southern Command Targets Vessel in Eastern Pacific
EASTERN PACIFIC - U.S. Southern Command carried out a strike against a vessel operating in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on April 24. The craft was moving along established maritime routes associated with narcotics trafficking when two males aboard the vessel were killed with no U....
U.S. Central Command Deploys Three Carrier Strike Groups to Enforce Iranian Blockade as Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Extended Three Weeks
MIDDLE EAST - U.S. forces have redirected 34 vessels attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports under an expanding blockade enforced by U.S. Central Command. Three aircraft carrier strike groups (USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford, and USS George H.W. Bush) are now operating simultaneously in the region for the first time in decades, supported by over 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and Marines. Three aircraft carrier strike groups (USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford, and USS George H.W. Bush) are now operating simultaneously in the region for the first time in decades, supported by over 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and Marines. President Trump has directed the Navy to destroy any Iranian boats laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and ordered mine-sweeping operations at tripled capacity. Rules of engagement authorize destruction of Iranian fast boats that threaten shipping or lay mines....
U.S. Forces Board Sanctioned Tanker M/T Majestic X Carrying Iranian Oil in Indian Ocean
INDIAN OCEAN - U.S. forces boarded a sanctioned stateless tanker in the Indian Ocean as part of sanctions enforcement operations. The vessel, identified as the M/T Majestic X, was transporting oil from Iran at the time of the action....
AFRICOM Airstrikes Target ISIS-Somalia in Golis Mountains, Somalia Neutralizes Over 33 Al-Shabaab Militants
SOMALIA - On April 20, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, conducted airstrikes targeting ISIS-Somalia militants in the vicinity of the Golis Mountains, approximately 90 kilometers southeast of Bossaso in Puntland....
USS Spruance Disables Propulsion of Iranian-Flagged Cargo Vessel Touska in North Arabian Sea
MIDDLE EAST - U.S. Central Command stated that U.S. forces operating in the Arabian Sea “enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port” on April 19....
SOUTHCOM Strikes Two More Vessels in Eastern Pacific, Seven Killed in Continuing Campaign
EASTERN PACIFIC - U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) struck two vessels in the Eastern Pacific on April 15 and April 14, killing a total of seven. Both strikes were carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear “at the direction of the commander of U.S. Southern Command, Gen. Francis L. Donovan,” according to SOUTHCOM. The April 14 and 15 strikes bring the total to five strikes on five vessels in five consecutive days (April 11 to 15), killing 14 and leaving one survivor, ......
US Conducts Airstrike, Somalian Military Kills 81 Al-Shabaab Militants in Jubbaland Offensive
EAST AFRICA: The Somali National Armed Forces and Jubbaland Security Forces killed 81 al-Shabaab fighters across multiple southern regions over April 14 to 15, Somalia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) stated in two press releases. International partner airstrikes supported the ground operations. U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) separately said it conducted a strike targeting al-Shabaab on April 9 “in the vicinity of Qalay, approximately 131 km northwest of Kismayo.” Somali Na......
Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant Loses All Off-Site Power for 13th Time
UKRAINE - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on April 14 that Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) “lost all off site power this morning after the disconnection of its last remaining external power line.” The IAEA stated this is the 13th time the plant has lost all off-site power during the military conflict. “The plant’s emergency diesel generators immediately started operating to provide the power needed for essential s......
SOUTHCOM Strikes Three Narco-Trafficking Vessels in Eastern Pacific, Seven Killed
EASTERN PACIFIC - U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) conducted three lethal kinetic strikes on narco-trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific on April 11 and April 13, killing a total of seven. All three strikes were carried out by Joint Task Force Southern Spear “at the direction of the commander of U.S. Southern Command, Gen. Francis L. Donovan,” according to SOUTHCOM. SOUTHCOM said the operations were “applying total systemic friction on the cartels.” ......
Armed Skiff Attempts to Board Sailing Vessel Southwest of Al Hudaydah as JMIC Holds Critical Threat for Strait of Hormuz
MIDDLE EAST - A skiff carrying 10 to 12 individuals, four to five of whom were armed with automatic weapons, approached a sailing vessel approximately 54 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, on 12 April, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Warning 034-26. The vessel’s master (the commanding officer) refused to stop and deployed a flare. The skiff turned away and departed to the southeast without boarding. The incident, the only event listed ......
U.S. AFRICOM Announces Airstrikes Targeting ISIS-Somalia, Somali Armed Forces Report Strike on Al-Shabaab in Mudug Region
The operation occurred in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces....
North Korea Fires Short-Range Ballistic Missiles in Back-to-Back Launches as Pyongyang Issues Threatening Statement Toward Seoul
KOREAN PENINSULA - North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Wednesday, April 8, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported, marking the second launch in two days after an apparent failed attempt on Tuesday. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) stated the launches “do not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies.” The launches came as North Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued a statem......
U.S. Forces Leave Erbil Air Base, Ending Inherent Resolve Mission in Iraq
MIDDLE EAST - U.S. Central Command completed the orderly departure of U.S. forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq on September 30, marking the end of the Operation Inherent Resolve mission in Iraq, the command said....
Navy Recovers Two Aviators After Eisenhower Aircraft-Recovery Mishap Off Virginia
VIRGINIA - A mishap during aircraft recovery operations aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) occurred at approximately 6:18 p.m. EDT (10:18 p....
Panama-Flagged Ocean Winner Sinks Off Odisha
INDIA - The Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received information at 6:18 a.m. UTC on August 22 that communication had been lost with the Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner, IMO 9145530, and that the vessel sank in the Bay of Bengal....
USS John F. Kennedy Completes Sea Trials, CENTCOM Chief Ends Middle East Trip, Lincoln Rotation Confirmed
ARABIAN SEA - HII Newport News Shipbuilding completed acceptance sea trials of the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) on August 15, with the ship returning to the yard after testing key systems at sea....
U.S. Embassy Havana Issues Security Alert on Cuba Nationwide Electrical Grid Collapse
HAVANA - As of 10:43 p.m. EST on August 2, Cuba experienced a total power failure due to a collapse of its electrical grid, according to a U.S. Embassy Havana security alert published August 3, as well as a statement by the Cuban Electric Union on the same day....
U.S. Coast Guard Monitors Chinese Research Ships Xue Long and Xue Long 2 in Bering Sea Transit
BERING SEA - The U.S. Coast Guard monitored the Chinese research ships Xue Long and Xue Long 2 as they transited north through the U.S. exclusive economic zone and over the U.S. extended continental shelf in the Bering Sea, marking the first Chinese vessels tracked in this area this year....
Cuba Total Power Failure Prompts Embassy Security Alert for U.S. Citizens
CUBA - Cuba’s electrical grid collapsed on July 6, producing a total power failure across the country that began at 12 p.m. Eastern Time, the U.S. Embassy in Havana stated in its security alert....
Happy Independence Day!
On this Fourth of July, we give thanks for the blessings of liberty entrusted to our nation. Freedom is not simply the work of human hands but a gift from God, calling us to live with gratitude, responsibility, integrity, and faith. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom....
U.S. and Iran Sign 14-Point MOU to End Hostilities and Reopen Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on June 17....
U.S. and Iran Announce Memorandum of Understanding to End Hostilities and Reopen Strait of Hormuz
MIDDLE EAST - On June 15 the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran announced they had reached a memorandum of understanding on the cessation of hostilities and other matters....
U.S. Navy Assists in Rescue of 14 Indian Mariners in Northern Arabian Sea, Three Indian Mariners Killed in Separate Gulf of Oman Tanker Incident
On June 14, U.S. Navy assets responded to a distress call from 14 Indian mariners whose vessel was sinking due to engine failure roughly 80 nautical miles east of Ras Al Hadd, Oman, per the U.S. Navy release....
President Trump Cancels Scheduled Strikes and Bombings Against Iran After High-Level Discussions, Naval Blockade Remains in Full Force Until Transaction Finalized
MIDDLE EAST - U.S. President Donald Trump has cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening. The decision followed discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran that reached the highest level of Iranian leadership and received approval from all parties involved....
Pentagon Enacts Precautionary Shelter-in-Place and Lock-down After Internal Systems Detect Air Quality Issue
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed June 11 that sophisticated building systems detected an air quality issue at the Pentagon, triggering standard protection protocols that include a shelter-in-place order for the affected area along with hazmat team deployment....
Raised Alerts: Frequently Asked Questions
What does raised command readiness mean for civilians?
Raised readiness on this site reflects OSINT indicators suggesting a command may be operating at elevated alert levels. It does not represent an official government declaration and does not indicate an imminent emergency. Civilians monitoring conditions can track official guidance through Ready.gov, cisa.gov, and the State Department's travel advisory system for affected regions.
How are readiness estimates calculated?
Readiness levels are OSINT estimates derived from official government statements, military public affairs releases, verified open-source reporting, and publicly available satellite imagery. They are not based on classified intelligence and do not represent official government assessments. The methodology behind site readiness estimates is described on the Current Level page.
How often do command readiness levels change?
Command readiness levels are updated when new OSINT indicators warrant a change. Some commands hold elevated readiness for extended periods tied to sustained regional conditions, while others fluctuate with specific events. The Raised Levels page provides trend data and recent changes for each tracked command.
How is the nuclear risk level different from command readiness?
The nuclear risk level is a site-wide OSINT estimate of global nuclear threat posture, assessed independently from individual command readiness levels. It reflects open-source indicators from nuclear-armed states, arms control treaty reporting, and publicly available strategic posture statements. Detailed coverage, including current assessment and historical context, is available on the Nuclear Threat Level page.
Where can I find official emergency guidance?
Primary civilian guidance sources include Ready.gov for general emergency preparedness, cisa.gov for cybersecurity and infrastructure advisories, and the State Department's travel advisory portal for region-specific alerts. The Department of Homeland Security's public advisory system covers domestic threat conditions, and FEMA's Emergency Management Institute provides training resources for community preparedness at training.fema.gov.
Stay Informed on Raised Alerts
Subscribe to receive notifications when commands raise their readiness levels or when breaking alerts are published.
Related Pages
Monitor readiness conditions, financial market impact, cybersecurity threat activity, and emergency preparedness status across all commands and threat categories.
Raised Levels
Current readiness levels for all commands with trend data and recent changes.
Current DEFCON Level
Global threat assessment and live readiness status.
Financial Alerts
Market impact analysis, commodity prices, and economic risk during elevated conditions.
Cyber Threats
Active cyber operations, infrastructure targeting, and digital security advisories.
Preparedness
Emergency supply status, readiness checklists, and preparedness guidance by threat level.
All Alerts
Complete intelligence alert feed across all commands and priority levels.