How pizza orders predicted the recent Iran-Israel conflict?

WASHINGTON: A quirky Cold War-era theory suggesting that a spike in pizza deliveries near the Pentagon signals imminent geopolitical unrest is making a surprising comeback online with the Iran-Israel conflict – and this time, it’s being fueled by memes, real-time tracking accounts, and a growing number of uncanny coincidences.

Dubbed the “Pentagon Pizza Meter,” the theory was recently revived by food culture site, The Takeout. Since then, it has exploded across social media platforms. The premise is simple – yet oddly compelling: When activity at the Pentagon ramps up in response to global events, personnel are too busy to leave their desks, and pizza, the ultimate fast fuel, becomes the meal of choice.

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The theory dates back to the Cold War, when Soviet intelligence allegedly monitored pizza deliveries to US government buildings as a proxy for crisis preparation. But it wasn’t until August 1, 1990 – the night before Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait – that the pattern gained attention. Frank Meeks, a Domino’s franchisee in Washington, D.C., reported an unusual spike in deliveries to CIA buildings. A similar phenomenon was reported during the 1998 impeachment hearings of President Bill Clinton.

Now, in the age of satellite imagery, app trackers, and hyper-aware online communities, the “Pizza Meter” has found new life.

On April 13, 2024, the day Iran launched drones into Israeli territory, users online noted a sharp uptick in pizza orders not only from the Pentagon area but also from addresses near the White House and the Department of Defense.

An anonymous social media account, @PenPizzaReport, has taken the theory a step further by offering daily (and often tongue-in-cheek) updates on pizza traffic near government buildings. On June 2, 2025, the account posted:

“With less than an hour to go before closing time, the Domino’s closest to the Pentagon is experiencing unusually high footfall.”

Hours later, tensions between Israel and Iran flared again.

Is this coincidence, or clandestine carb-loading? Experts remain skeptical. No definitive correlation has been proven between pizza orders and national security events, and many dismiss the theory as a meme-fueled urban legend. But the pattern persists – enough so that some internet sleuths have begun using pizza deliveries as their own offbeat crisis barometer.

As CNN’s then-Pentagon correspondent Wolf Blitzer joked in 1990, (reminded to the avid readers by Euronews on June 6, 2025): “Bottom line for journalists: Always monitor the pizzas.”

Whether fact or folklore, the Pentagon Pizza Meter is a reminder that in the age of information, even food orders can be turned into data points – or at the very least, a viral distraction.

And maybe, just maybe, it’s time the Pentagon diversified its menu, or hired an in-house chef.

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