What is the Pentagon Pizza Index?

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Alireza Jafarzadeh, the deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council on the Resistance of Iran says new satellite images of Iran's nuclear sites show Iran is "preparing for war." Mark Chandler at Coastal Carolina University joined LiveNOW's Josh Breslow to discuss the latest.

Pizza has become the fast food for parties and events, while also remaining a reliable option for late nights at work or for people in fast-paced industries with little time for breaks.

The people working at the Pentagon are no exception. 

People have theorized that pizza joints near the Pentagon get significantly busier before geopolitical conflicts, with instances of that supposedly being predictors that something significant is about to unfold on the world stage. 

In June, when Israel attacked Iran, Google Maps activity from four pizza joints near the Pentagon surged, indicating military personnel were monitoring the unfolding event.

The Pentagon Pizza Index has resurfaced once more as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to tighten. 

FILE - A man grabs a slice of pizza. (Getty Images) 

What is The Pentagon Pizza Index? 

The Pentagon Pizza Report and the Pentagon Pizza Index tracks the real-time foot traffic at pizza spots near the Pentagon, hinting at officials working late at the government building, which may suggest potential conflict.

The backstory:

These recent trackers piggyback off decades of observations made between the uptick in pizza orders at the Pentagon and incoming major conflicts.

For example, in 1991, an owner of 43 Domino’s pizza restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area told the Los Angeles Times that while news media are in bed, pizza deliveries are out and about into the early hours of the morning.

That same owner also noted that on the evening of Aug. 1, 1990, the CIA ordered a record-breaking number of pizzas, just hours before Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait and started the Gulf War.

The other side:

When asked about the pizza index theory on Sunday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joked that the monitoring apps could be tracking his own pizza orders "just to throw everybody off," according to The Hill. 

"I’ve thought of just ordering lots of pizza on random nights just to throw everybody off," he said on Fox News. "Some Friday night when you see a bunch of Domino's orders, it might just be me on an app, throwing the whole system off so we keep everybody off balance. We look at every indicator."

When reached for comment on the Pentagon Pizza Report’s June 12 post and the pizza theory, the Department of Defense (DOD) told FOX Business it had "nothing to offer" on the matter.

Newsweek reported in June a spokesperson for the Pentagon told it that the Pentagon Pizza Report’s posts did "not align with the events."

The Pentagon is also apparently not lacking in pizza offerings inside its building, with the spokesperson telling the outlet there "are many pizza options available inside the Pentagon, also sushi, sandwiches, donuts, coffee, etc.," according to Newsweek. 

US and Iran 

Big picture view:

The United States has ordered nonessential diplomats and their family members at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to leave Lebanon, the State Department said Monday.

The department said in an updated travel alert for U.S. citizens in Lebanon that it "ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of government personnel due to the security situation in Beirut."

Tensions have escalated between the U.S. and Iran as President Donald Trump has built up the largest military presence in the Middle East in decades and repeatedly threatened action if Tehran does not negotiate a deal to constrain its nuclear program.

What they're saying:

Asked Friday whether the U.S. could take limited military action as the countries negotiate, Trump said, "I guess I can say I am considering that." He also told reporters later that Iran "better negotiate a fair deal."