As Middle East tensions increase, an intriguing crowdsourced theory called the “Pentagon Pizza Index” has gained popularity on the internet. Some even speculated that the US could be discreetly going into crisis mode behind closed doors when users on X (previously Twitter) reported an unexpected increase of pizza delivery near the Pentagon and Department of Defense in Washington, D.C., on June 12 and 13.
Despite being around for decades, the theory has just now found its way into social media.
Pentagon Pizza Report, a well-known X account with the handle @PenPizzaReport, claims to offer “open-source tracking of pizza spot activity around the Pentagon (and other places).”
On June 12, Pentagon Pizza Report stated in an update on X, “nearly all pizza establishments nearby the Pentagon have experienced a HUGE surge in activity” at approximately 7 p.m. local time.
Using a search engine’s “Popular Times” function, the post displayed what looked to be screen shots of four distinct pizza places that were busier than normal: We, The Pizza, Domino’s Pizza, District Pizza Palace, and Extreme Pizza.
The latest resurgence of the hypothesis between pizza activity and the Pentagon occurred the night when Israel’s military launched a series of attacks to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities and missile infrastructure.
Pentagon reacts to Pentagon Pizza Report
A Pentagon spokesman told Newsweek that the tweets from the Pentagon Pizza Report “did not align with the events.”
The spokesperson told Newsweek that there “are many pizza options available inside the Pentagon, also sushi, sandwiches, donuts, coffee, etc,” indicating that the Pentagon does not appear to be short on pizza options inside its headquarters.
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Pizza tracker reports high activity at Papa John’s near Pentagon
Pizza tracker detected “HIGH activity” at Papa John’s near the Pentagon before US President Donald Trump confirmed that American airplanes had hit three nuclear sites in Iran.
Just 30 minutes after the pizza traffic alarm, Trump declared on his Truth Social account that the US military had successfully attacked three important sites connected to Iran’s nuclear enrichment program—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
“A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote.
Pentagon Pizza Index later reiterated Trump’s statement, “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
The same account also mentioned “abnormally low activity levels” at Freddie’s Beach Bar, a popular spot close to the Pentagon. The account described the calm night as a “classic indicator for potential overtime at the Pentagon,” implying that either something significant was happening or people were working late.
Approximately 30 minutes prior to Trump’s national address, at approximately 9:36 p.m. Eastern Time, the account also reported a “HUGE traffic surge” at the Domino’s near MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.
On April 23, Pentagon Pizza Tracker wrote: “The Papa Johns closest to the Pentagon is reporting high traffic, well above the average for a Monday at about 12:10pm ET.”
In retaliation for the American assault of its nuclear installations, Iran began missile attacks on US military airbases in Qatar and Iraq on Monday.
Meanwhile, Iran claimed to have targeted US soldiers based at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base on state television.
‘A mighty response to America’s aggression’
As martial music played, a caption on the screen described it as “a mighty and successful response” to “America’s aggression.”
According to an Iraqi security officer who spoke to The Associated Press, Iran also attacked the Ain al-Assad facility in western Iraq that houses American forces. Since the official was not permitted to make public comments, they talked on condition of anonymity.
The strikes happened soon after Qatar closed its airspace in response to Iranian threats.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on the social media site X just before the explosions: “We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”
