According to a Wall Street Journal report, Israel established a secret military base in the Iraqi desert in February to support its air campaign against Iran
The facility was created shortly before the start of the joint US-Israeli air strikes on February 28th and served as a logistics center for the Israeli Air Force.
In addition to storing supplies and equipment, the base housed special forces troops and search and rescue teams, ready to act if any Israeli pilots were shot down.
To protect the site, Israeli soldiers even carried out airstrikes against Iraqi forces who nearly discovered the location in early March.
These strikes killed one Iraqi soldier, according to Baghdad.
At the time, local media reported that a pastor in the area saw unusual military activity, with helicopters and gunfire in a remote area.
The Israeli actions prevented Iraqi forces from further investigation.
Iraq initially blamed the United States for the incident, stating that the operation was carried out without coordination or approval.
Sources confirmed, however, that the US did not participate in the operation.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not comment on the report.
An Iraqi military commander said at the time that there appeared to be “a force on the ground, supported by air, operating beyond the capabilities of our units.” The head of the Israeli Air Force at the time, Major General Tomer Bar, had mentioned in March that special units were carrying out “extraordinary missions” during the conflict, without giving further details.
Experts explain that the western desert of Iraq is an ideal location for a clandestine base, as it is vast and sparsely populated.
“It’s normal, before operations, to conduct reconnaissance and prepare this type of location,” said Michael Knights, an intelligence expert.
Iraq, situated between Jordan and Iran, ended up being dragged into the conflict because of attacks on its territory from both sides.
The country has always balanced relations with Washington and Tehran.
This revelation shows how the Israeli operation involved not only long-distance flights, but also a discreet and strategic ground presence in neutral territory.
Published in 05/10/2026 02h08
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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