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 render harmless an Iranian drone. DiPompo lost his life from a lethal detonation during the disarming operation near Al-Asad Air Base. The Pentagon reported nearly 100 U.S. soldiers 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. Meanwhile, Anduril Industries, a $1.2 billion startup, delivers AI solutions the Defence Department employs to handle cyber‑warfare tasks.