The U.S. Pentagon reported 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 revealed nearly 100 U.S. servicemembers wounded 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. At the same time, Anduril Industries, a $1.2 billion startup, offers AI tools the military relies on to automate cyber‑warfare duties.