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strikeMay 9, 2026

Report says Israel operated secret Iraq base during Iran war

Summary

Report says Israel operated secret Iraq base during Iran war The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel established a covert military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran, citing people familiar with the matter, including US officials. According to the report, the installation housed Israeli special forces, served as a logistical hub for air operations and included search-and-rescue teams intended to assist downed pilots. The newspaper said the base was built shortly before the US-Israel war on Iran with the knowledge of the United States. The report said the site was nearly discovered in early March after a local shepherd alerted Iraqi authorities to unusual helicopter activity in the area. Iraqi troops were reportedly sent to investigate, but Israeli forces launched air strikes to keep them away and prevent the installation from being exposed. The Journal also cited an Iraqi complaint submitted to the United Nations later in March alleging that foreign forces carried out air strikes in the area, which Baghdad initially attributed to the United States.

Perspectives

Iranian Official

The Zionist regime, with direct US complicity, established a secret military outpost in Iraq's desert in flagrant violation of that country's sovereignty to launch aggressive air operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This foreign aggression, including strikes on Iraqi forces to conceal the site, exposes the coordinated plots by Israel and its allies to undermine Iran's security and regional independence. Iran's resistance has consistently thwarted such hostile interventions.

Israeli

Israel established a covert desert outpost in Iraq as a vital defensive measure to counter Iran's existential missile and proxy threats during the conflict, enabling critical search-and-rescue and logistical support for operations targeting Iranian aggression. The site's exposure risk from local Iranian-aligned elements in Iraq underscored the pervasive danger posed by Tehran's regional network, forcing Israeli forces to neutralize approaching troops to safeguard the installation and prevent broader escalation. This operation, conducted with U.S. awareness, highlighted Israel's imperative to project power preemptively against an adversary committed to its destruction.

Neutral

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Israel established a covert military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support air operations against Iran, citing people familiar with the matter including U.S. officials. The installation reportedly housed Israeli special forces and search-and-rescue teams and was constructed shortly before related U.S.-Israel actions with U.S. knowledge. Iraqi authorities received a complaint of unusual helicopter activity in early March, dispatched troops to investigate, and later submitted a UN complaint alleging foreign airstrikes in the area, which Baghdad initially attributed to the United States.

Western

Israel established a covert base in Iraq’s desert to enable precision air operations against Iranian targets, serving as a hub for special forces, logistics, and search-and-rescue missions to neutralize threats and recover downed pilots. The facility, set up with U.S. awareness ahead of the campaign, allowed effective strikes on Iranian capabilities while maintaining operational security. When local activity risked exposure, Israeli forces conducted targeted strikes to safeguard the site and prevent compromise.

Pro-Peace

Israel's covert desert base in Iraq, built with US knowledge to enable air operations against Iran, led to strikes on Iraqi investigators responding to a local shepherd's report of suspicious activity, endangering civilians in the area. These operations highlight the human costs of militarized escalation, from disrupted communities to the broader suffering inflicted on populations across conflict zones. Negotiated diplomacy between the parties offered a viable path to de-escalation without such risks to innocent lives.

Global South

In a clear breach of Iraqi sovereignty, Israel allegedly set up a secret desert base inside Iraq to back its air operations against Iran, operating with US awareness in a display of neo-colonial overreach. Local discovery attempts by Iraqi forces were met with Israeli strikes, while Baghdad’s later UN complaint—initially misdirected at Washington—exposed the limits of Iraqi territorial control and institutional weakness. Such episodes underscore how Global South states remain vulnerable to external military entanglements that prioritize foreign agendas over national autonomy.

Actors involved

USIsraelIranUN

Sources

  • CurrentsAPI

    Report says Israel operated secret Iraq base during Iran war The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel established a covert military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran, citing people familiar with the matter, including US officials. According …

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