The U.S. Pentagon announced U.S. Army Specialist Christopher DiPompo, 30, of Apex, North Carolina, killed on July 14 in Iraq while trying to neutralize an Iranian drone. DiPompo was killed from a fatal blast during the disarming operation near Al-Asad Air Base. The Pentagon stated nearly 100 U.S. servicemembers wounded this month in incidents linked to Iran-related actions. The growing costs 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 Pentagon uses to automate cyber‑warfare duties.