• Source:JND
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Israel-Iran War: A mysterious spate of last-minute pizza deliveries late at night near the Pentagon on June 12‑13 has reawakened an Internet theory called the "Pentagon Pizza Index," with social media users wondering if another big military crisis or even World War III is on the horizon. The idea that large pepperoni orders are harbingers of US war comes from the 1980s, when Soviet agents were said to tally pizza boxes as a measure of last-minute war planning. The tradition was adopted in 1990, when Washington franchisee Frank Meeks broke the record of 21 pies delivered to CIA headquarters just hours before Iraq invaded Kuwait. Wolf Blitzer followed with a wisecrack headline shortly thereafter, "Bottom line for journalists: always monitor the pizzas."

June 12-13 Spike Overlapped With Israel–Iran Escalation

At 6:59 p.m. local time Thursday, the X account @PentagonPizzaReport reported that almost all pizzerias within a mile of the Pentagon were labeled "busier than usual" on Google Maps. About an hour later, Iranian news reported explosions outside Tehran, an alleged Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear capabilities. As reported by The Guardian, verified an “abnormally low” crowd at a nearby bar and an unusual spike in deliveries to Pentagon-adjacent Domino’s and Papa John’s franchises. Sources cited by The Guardian claim similar spikes preceded US action in Panama (1989), the first Gulf War (1991), and missile attacks in Syria (2018). A hectic evening with a stack of pizza boxes was also recorded minutes before Israel's 2024 attack on Iran.

 

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Why pizza? Logistics, calories, And convenience

As per behavioural‑stress research, employees who work 16‑hour shifts to high‑calorie comfort foods that they can consume at their workstations. Pizza meets the requirements, and in contrast to sandwiches or sushi, it is easy to transport, feeds teams inexpensively, and requires minimal utensils. "You can't bank a war call on a pizza," said one defence analyst to Firstpost, "but if the Pentagon is burning the midnight oil and feeding everybody, it deserves a second look," he added.

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This attracted mixed reactions on social media. Netizens argue that the Pizza Index has predicted 21 global crises since 1989. While several others respond that late meetings, sporting events or even app malfunctions can skew delivery numbers. Questioned regarding the most recent uptick, the US Department of Defense had no comment. Senator Marco Rubio again reaffirmed that the United States is "not conducting strikes against Iran" and is concerned with defending American forces in the area.