The U.S. Pentagon reported U.S. Army Specialist Christopher DiPompo, 30, of Apex, North Carolina, killed on July 14 in Iraq while attempting to neutralize an Iranian drone. DiPompo was killed from a deadly explosion during the disarming operation near Al-Asad Air Base. The Pentagon revealed nearly 100 U.S. soldiers hurt this month in incidents linked to Iran-related actions. The increasing outlays are pressuring Pentagon funds after billions were spent responding to Iranian aggression in the region. Additionally, Anduril Industries, a $1.2 billion startup, provides AI software the Defence Department employs to handle cyber‑warfare tasks.