KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Israel built two covert military outposts in Iraq's western desert before the US-Israel war on Iran — one prepared since late 2024

• The bases housed Israeli special forces and served as logistical hubs for air operations — including search-and-rescue for downed pilots

• Israeli forces launched attacks against Iraqi units that came close to discovering one of the sites in early March

• Iraq publicly denied authorising any foreign military presence — but privately lodged a protest with Washington in late March over the sovereignty violation

• The US denied involvement — but the Wall Street Journal reported the base operated with Washington's knowledge

• Iran's Foreign Ministry called the reports proof that Israel "does not respect any limits or red lines"

• Satellite imagery cited by open-source analysts identified the suspected location near Iraq's border with Saudi Arabia

Israel Secretly Built Two Military Bases Inside Iraq Before the Iran War

Israel constructed two covert military outposts in Iraq's western desert in the months leading up to the US-Israel war on Iran — without Iraqi government knowledge or consent — housing special forces, supporting air operations, and launching attacks against Iraqi units that stumbled too close to the hidden sites, according to reporting by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

The NYT reported Sunday that Iraqi officials had identified both bases — citing an Iraqi official and a lawmaker — with one site having been under preparation since as early as late 2024, well before the war began on February 28.

What the Bases Were Used For

Special Forces, Air Ops, and Search-and-Rescue

The Wall Street Journal's earlier reporting filled in the operational details — describing one base as established shortly before the war began and functioning as a logistical hub for Israeli special forces conducting air operations against Iran.

The installation also reportedly included search-and-rescue capabilities — infrastructure designed to recover downed pilots if Israeli aircraft were shot down during strikes on Iranian targets.

Israeli Forces Attacked Iraqi Units to Stay Hidden

One of the most alarming details in the reporting is what happened when Iraqi forces got too close.

According to the WSJ, Israeli forces launched attacks against Iraqi military units that approached and nearly discovered one of the sites in early March — a direct armed engagement on Iraqi soil against Iraqi personnel, carried out without any Iraqi government authorisation.

Satellite Imagery Confirms the Location

Open-source analysts cited in the WSJ report identified the suspected location of at least one base using satellite imagery — placing it near Iraq's border with Saudi Arabia in the country's remote western desert.

Iraq's Public Denial — and Its Private Protest

What Iraqi Officials Said Publicly

Iraqi officials have consistently and publicly denied authorising any foreign military presence in the western desert.

"There is no agreement or consent for any force to be present in this location," said Lieutenant-General Qais al-Muhammadawi, Iraq's deputy commander of joint operations, last week — before the full details of the alleged Israeli outposts had been publicly reported.

A senior Iraqi security official repeated the denial Sunday, speaking to Anadolu news agency — again rejecting reports of an Israeli military base on Iraqi territory.

What Iraq Did Privately

Behind the public denials, Iraq's response was more pointed.

The WSJ reported that Baghdad privately lodged a formal protest with Washington in late March — describing the suspected covert Israeli military activity as a direct violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

The gap between Iraq's public statements and its private diplomatic protest captures the impossible position Baghdad occupies — squeezed between Washington, Tehran, and Tel Aviv with limited leverage over any of them.

The Commander Who Confirmed a Presence — Briefly

Adding another layer to the conflicting accounts, the commander of Iraq's Karbala operations confirmed to reporters Tuesday that an Israeli military group had been detected in the Najaf desert in March.

He said the group had remained in the area for less than 48 hours — a detail that either suggests a short-term operation or reflects the limits of what Iraqi authorities were willing to confirm on the record.

What Israel's Former Air Force Chief Said

In March, Israel's former air force chief Major-General Tomer Bar said Israeli special forces had carried out "extraordinary" operations during the conflict with Iran.

He did not specify where those operations took place — but the timing of his remarks, now read alongside the Iraq base reports, adds weight to what Western and regional media have been piecing together from multiple sources.

Washington's Position: Denial With an Asterisk

US officials quoted by the WSJ said Washington was not involved in the Israeli base operations inside Iraq.

But the same report stated that at least one base operated with Washington's knowledge — a distinction that puts the US in the position of knowing about a covert Israeli military presence on the territory of a country it also has formal defence relationships with.

US forces carried out their own strikes against Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq in March — after attacks on a US diplomatic and logistics facility near Baghdad airport — further complicating the picture of what exactly is happening on Iraqi soil.

Iran Responds: 'Israel Respects No Red Lines'

Iran's Foreign Ministry moved quickly to use the reports as diplomatic ammunition.

Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Tehran would raise the matter directly with Iraqi authorities — framing the alleged bases as evidence of Israel's broader regional destabilisation agenda.

"Israel's behaviour in the region shows that they do not respect any limits or red lines," Baghaei said.

Iraq Under Pressure From All Sides

The base revelations land as Iraq finds itself under growing pressure from multiple directions simultaneously.

Washington has been pushing Baghdad to curb the influence of Iran-backed armed groups operating inside Iraq — particularly the Popular Mobilisation Forces, which have conducted attacks on US facilities.

Tehran, meanwhile, expects Iraq to resist Israeli and American military activity on its territory — and is watching closely whether Baghdad will take any concrete action in response to the base reports.

And Israel, it now appears, has been treating Iraq's western desert as operational territory — without asking anyone's permission.

What Happens Next: Three Scenarios

With two confirmed base locations, a private Iraqi protest already filed, and Iran pressing for answers, the situation faces three possible directions.

Scenario 1: Iraq Demands Full Withdrawal, Diplomatic Crisis Follows

Baghdad formally demands an end to all Israeli military activity on its territory. The US is forced to mediate between its Israeli ally and its Iraqi partner. A diplomatic crisis unfolds — with Iran watching and the Popular Mobilisation Forces pushing for a harder Iraqi response.

Scenario 2: Story Is Quietly Buried, Bases Remain Classified

Iraq's private protest produces no public action. The US and Israel neither confirm nor deny the reports. The bases are quietly wound down as the war's active phase ends. The incident is filed away as one of the conflict's many unacknowledged operational details.

Scenario 3: Iran Uses the Revelations to Justify Strikes on Iraq

Tehran points to the Israeli base reports as proof that Iraq's territory is being used against Iran — citing it as justification for strikes on Iraqi infrastructure or Popular Mobilisation Force operations targeting US and Israeli-linked assets inside Iraq. Baghdad is caught directly in the crossfire.