In the world of geopolitics, terms like soldiers, drones, missiles, and fighter jets usually dominate discussions around war. But what if the word pizza starts trending during a military conflict?
Thats exactly what happened amid rising tensions between Israel and Iranand it’s led analysts to revisit a quirky but intriguing phenomenon known as the Pizza Index Theory. Yes, you read that right. Now, let’s give you more details:
What Is the Pizza Index?
Often referred to as the Pentagon Pizza Index, this theory suggests that a sudden spike in pizza orders around the Pentagonheadquarters of the U.S. Department of Defensecan foreshadow an imminent military operation. The logic is simple but fascinating: when high-level, late-night meetings take place in the Pentagonespecially those involving national securitystaffers often order pizza in large quantities, a trend that appears right before major military moves.
The theory recently resurfaced when just before Israel launched a military strike on Iran, pizza delivery apps around the Pentagon showed a sharp rise in wait times. On June 12, social media platform X was flooded with screenshots showing unusually high delivery delays from pizza outlets near the Pentagonparticularly around 6 p.m. Interestingly, there had been no delays earlier in the day. This raised eyebrows: was there a crucial meeting happening at the Pentagon during that time?
A few hours later, Israel struck Iran.
Even former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Israel had informed the U.S. about the strike beforehand. The theory implies that the surge in pizza deliveries might have coincided with a high-level strategy session or military briefing.
The Numbers Dont Lie
According to social media posts and order tracking data, the waiting time for pizza orders spiked around 6 p.m. on June 12 and gradually returned to normal by 7 p.m., indicating that the meeting may have wrapped up by then.
Historical Patterns
Though the Pentagon consistently denies the validity of such theories, historical patterns suggest otherwise:
October 1983: The night before the U.S. invaded Grenada, pizza orders near the Pentagon reportedly doubled.
December 1989: Prior to the U.S. invasion of Panama under President George H. W. Bush, pizza demand saw a sudden spike.
August 1, 1990: On the eve of Iraqs invasion of Kuwait, Pentagon-area pizza orders surged.
April 13, 2024: Just before Iran fired 300 drones and missiles at Israel, a spike in pizza deliveries around the Pentagon was recorded.
Cold War era: Soviet spies reportedly monitored pizza delivery patterns in the U.S. and used the codename “Pizzint” (short for Pizza Intelligence) to anticipate possible military actions.
Why Pizza?
Pizza is quick, easily shareable, and convenientmaking it the food of choice during long hours of strategizing. In fact, some American journalists jokingly say, Forget following the newsfollow the pizza. Its a light-hearted jab, but it reflects the unusual accuracy of this pattern over decades.
So while it might sound like satire, the Pizza Index Theory has enough circumstantial backing to at least merit curiosity. Whether its a coincidence or covert clue, it adds an oddly appetizing twist to the serious business of war.
In modern warfare, it seems that before the missiles launchpizza is delivered.