Updated 15 January 2026 at 19:35 IST
What's Brewing? Pizza Delivery Hike Near Pentagon Sparks Speculations Amid US-Iran Tensions
Pizza outlets located near the Pentagon are reporting an unusual surge in orders as tensions between United States and Iran continues to escalate. The surge triggered fresh buzz around the viral ‘Pentagon Pizza Theory' that links food delivery rapid spikes to major military operations.
Washington D.C.: Pizza outlets located near the Pentagon, which is the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, are reporting an unusual surge in orders as tensions between United States and Iran continue to escalate. The surge triggered fresh buzz around the viral ‘Pentagon Pizza Theory' that links sudden spikes in pizza deliveries around key defence buildings to major American military operations.
An open-source tracker named ‘Pentagon Pizza Report’, which monitors real-time footfall and business activity of pizzerias around US defence buildings, reported unusually high late-night activity on Wednesday at around 4:25 pm (ET). The tracker was tracking deliveries of Domino's Pizza, Extreme Pizza, Pizzato Pizza and We, The Pizza. It also reported the surge at 7:23 pm (ET).
Another pizza delivery tracker named ‘Pentagon Pizza Watch’ issued a warning that “something might happen”.
The tracker noted that on Wednesday evening, the nearest Domino's pizza outlet near the Pentagon reported an unusual surge in deliveries, experiencing a spike of 137%. In a post on X, it stated, “DEFCON level is 3.”
This comes after protests broke out in Iran due to deteriorating economic conditions and inflation, with thousands of protesters being killed in a government crackdown. Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of the protesters.
What Is The Pentagon Pizza Theory?
The “Pentagon Pizza Theory” is an informal internet theory that links sudden spikes in pizza deliveries near the Pentagon to impending US military actions or major crises. It is based on the idea that during emergencies, defence officials and intelligence staff work overnight and rely heavily on quick food deliveries.
It is said that even the Soviet Union monitored pizza orders near key US government buildings during the Cold War.
Historic Examples
The surge in pizza deliveries has been reported before historical events in the past, including a 1990 Domino's order surge to the CIA before Iraq invaded Kuwait. The CIA is said to have ordered 21 pizzas in one night, a day after which the Gulf War started.
The 1999 NATO bombing of Serbia during the Kosovo War and the 2003 Iraq War also aligned with the reported surge in pizza orders.
Similar patterns were observed before the US invasions of Grenada in 1983 and Panama in 1989.
In January 2026 as well, a sudden hike in delivery was noticed, coinciding with the United States' large-scale military airstrike in Venezuela's capital Caracas. Following the airstrikes, US troops captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and flew them out of the country, creating history for the South American country.
Published By : Nidhi Sinha
Published On: 15 January 2026 at 18:19 IST