'Pizza Index' resurfaces amid Israel-Iran tensions: What's the theory?
What's the story
Amid the rising Israel-Iran tensions, a bizarre theory linking pizza orders to global crises has resurfaced.
The "Pizza Index" suggests that an increase in pizza deliveries to government buildings like the White House or Pentagon could signal impending major geopolitical events.
The theory can be tracked back to the Cold War, when Soviet spies reportedly monitored Washington, DC, pizza shops for signs of US military movements.
This practice was later dubbed "Pizzint," short for pizza intelligence, according to news.com.au.
Theory explained
Tracking pizza deliveries near Pentagon
The theory posits that when government officials burn the midnight oil on urgent matters, they tend to order quick food like pizza.
An X account, "Pentagon Pizza Report," has been tracking this phenomenon near the US military headquarters in Arlington County, Virginia.
It said that on June 13, it noted a huge surge in activity at Extreme Pizza and District Pizza Palace around 7:05pm EST, just before Iranian state television reported explosions in Tehran.
Report
'Nearly all pizza establishments nearby Pentagon experienced huge surge'
Even a nearby Domino's, close to the White House, allegedly reported "above-average levels of traffic."
"Nearly all pizza establishments nearby the Pentagon have experienced a HUGE surge in activity," the account claimed on July 13, sharing screenshots of Google data.
That same day, Israel launched strikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and military command.
The attack killed four top commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and several nuclear scientists.
Twitter Post
Pentagon Pizza Report's post on X
As of 6:59pm ET nearly all pizza establishments nearby the Pentagon have experienced a HUGE surge in activity. pic.twitter.com/ZUfvQ1JBYM
— Pentagon Pizza Report (@PenPizzaReport) June 12, 2025
Official statement
Pentagon dismisses 'Pizza index'
A Pentagon spokesperson, however, dismissed the "Pizza Index," telling Newsweek, "There are many pizza options available inside the Pentagon, also sushi, sandwiches, donuts, coffee, etc."
They also said that the timeline set by the "Pentagon Pizza Report" didn't match up with events on June 13, when Israel attacked Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic missile factories, killing several senior military officials.
Background
When pizza deliveries predicted US military operations
Historically, the "Pizza Index" has been linked to major US military operations.
The Guardian reported that pizza deliveries to the Pentagon doubled just before the 1989 invasion of Panama and the 1991 Gulf War campaign, Operation Desert Storm.
The Takeout, a food and culture site, also noted in January that while there are many eateries inside the Pentagon, it doesn't have its own pizzeria.