Israel Built Secret Military Outpost in Iraq’s Western Desert, Then Struck Iraqi Forces

Israel reportedly set up a secret military outpost in Iraq’s western desert to reinforce its airstrike campaign against Iran, with the Wall Street Journal citing U.S. officials and other sources.

The outpost was built shortly before the start of the war with Iran at the end of February and served as a logistical hub for Israel’s air force, with special forces and search-and-rescue teams positioned there.

Anadolu Ajansı

In early March, Iraqi state media said a local shepherd witnessed unusual military activity, including helicopter flights, and Iraqi troops were sent to investigate, but Israel responded with airstrikes that killed one Iraqi soldier.

Haaretz reported that the Iraqi government condemned the attack and that Iraq issued a complaint to the United Nations attributing the strikes to the United States, while the IDF declined to comment.

Iraq’s deputy commander of the Joint Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Qais Al-Muhammadawi, described the incident as a “reckless operation” carried out “without coordination or approval,” and said two additional soldiers had been wounded.

The Kashmir Observer also reported that Baghdad condemned the incident and later filed a complaint with the United Nations, attributing responsibility to the United States, while U.S. officials denied involvement.

DNA India

Michael Knights of Horizon Engage told the Wall Street Journal that “it’s normal that before operations you reconnoiter and set up these kinds of locations,” linking the outpost to pre-operation reconnaissance and logistics.

The Jerusalem Post added that a local shepherd spotted unusual activity, including helicopter flights, on March 4, and that one Iraqi soldier was killed in the incident while a US source told the WSJ that American forces were not involved.

The report’s fallout reached Iraq’s political arena, with i24NEWS saying Iraq’s parliament summoned security ministers after a Wall Street Journal report claimed Israel had set up a covert facility in the Al-Nukhayb desert.

“Israel set up a secret military outpost in the Iraqi desert to reinforce its airstrike campaign in Iran, and the IDF attacked Iraqi troops to prevent their discovery of the base, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing U”

Haaretz

i24NEWS said the area is between Najaf and Anbar provinces, roughly 80 kilometers from the Saudi border and about 200 kilometers from Iran, and that satellite images from March reportedly showed a 1.6-kilometer airstrip deep in the Iraqi desert near the suspected location.

A senior Iraqi official told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the Joint Operations Command confirmed an incident in early March involving an attack on Iraqi military forces stationed in the area, and that initial assessments suggested the force may have been American.

In a Facebook post reported by i24NEWS, Iraqi parliament member Raad al-Maliki accused the United States of enabling Israeli military activity in Iraq, claiming the US “handed over Iraq’s skies to the entity during the war and ordered the radars to be disabled,” and called the claims a “serious violation.”