According to a Sunday report by the New York Times, Iraqi officials have identified two clandestine bases operated by Israel in the country's western desert, based on information from an Iraqi official and a lawmaker. Israeli forces had been preparing to construct one of these temporary facilities since late 2024, a regional official said.
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that one base was established just before the war began and operated with U.S. knowledge. It housed Israeli special forces and served as a logistics hub for aerial operations, including search-and-rescue capabilities for downed pilots.
The Wall Street Journal added that Israeli forces conducted strikes from this base targeting Iraqi units that approached to investigate the site in early March. Open-source analysts identified the suspected location via satellite imagery, near Iraq's border with Saudi Arabia.
This information has intensified months-long controversies over alleged Israeli activity inside Iraq. Last Thursday, Lieutenant General Qais al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of joint Iraqi operations, said authorities had received reports of 'individuals or movements' in the Najaf desert near Karbala, about 100 km southwest of Baghdad, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The Wall Street Journal also quoted former Israeli Air Force commander Major General Tomer Bar, who said Israeli special forces had conducted 'extraordinary' operations in the conflict with Iran, though he did not specify locations. Iraqi officials publicly deny authorizing any foreign military presence in the region. 'There is no agreement or consent for any force to be present at this location,' al-Muhammadawi said last week, before details of the alleged base were released.
Nevertheless, the Wall Street Journal reported that Baghdad sent a private protest to Washington in late March over suspected secret military activity, calling it a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. U.S. officials cited in the report insisted Washington was not involved in the operation. On Sunday, a senior Iraqi security official again denied reports of Israeli bases in the desert, in comments to Turkey's Anadolu Agency.
On Tuesday, the commander of operations in Iraq's Karbala told Al Jazeera that an Israeli military team was detected in the Najaf desert in March, though he said the group stayed less than 48 hours. These reports come as Iraq faces growing pressure from escalating tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran.
Washington has repeatedly called on Baghdad to curb the influence of Iran-aligned armed groups operating in Iraq. In March, U.S. forces conducted airstrikes against the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) following attacks on U.S. diplomatic and logistics facilities near Baghdad airport. Iran has also voiced concern over the allegations. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Tehran would discuss the matter with the Iraqi government. He accused Israel of seeking to destabilize the region, saying: 'Israel's behavior in the region shows it respects no limits or red lines.'
