Israel established a secret military base in the Iraqi desert shortly before the outbreak of the war with Iran to support the Israeli Air Force’s extensive aerial campaign against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Motzei Shabbos, citing sources familiar with the matter, including senior US officials.
According to the report, the facility was established with the full knowledge of the United States. The outpost served as a key logistical hub for the Israeli Air Force and housed special forces units.
The report sheds light on another layer of Israel’s campaign against Iran, conducted roughly 1,800 kilometers from Israeli territory.
Israel also deployed search-and-rescue teams at the base to respond quickly in the event Israeli pilots were shot down over enemy territory, a scenario that Baruch Hashem did not occur.
The base was reportedly nearly exposed in early March after a local shepherd alerted Iraqi authorities to unusual military activity in the area, including helicopter flights and gunfire.
Following the report, the Iraqi Army dispatched forces to investigate the activity in the desert. According to the report, Israeli airstrikes drove the forces away. One Iraqi soldier was killed, and two others were wounded in the incident.
Later, Iraqi authorities reportedly deployed two additional units from the country’s counterterrorism force — one of the main formations involved in the fight against Islamic State — to assist in searches in the area.
Evidence of military activity was discovered in the field, although the Israeli base itself was never officially uncovered.
Iraq later filed a complaint with the United Nations claiming the incident involved foreign forces and aerial attacks.
Officials in Baghdad attributed the strike to the United States, but according to a source quoted by WSJ, the US was not involved in the operation.
An Iraqi government spokesman declined to comment on whether Baghdad had prior knowledge of the Israeli base.
The Iraqi outpost gave Israel a significant operational advantage by bringing it closer to the battlefield, allowing faster preparation for rescue scenarios, and serving as a support point for Israeli Air Force special forces trained to operate deep inside enemy territory.
During the five-week campaign, the Israeli Air Force reportedly carried out thousands of strikes against targets inside Iran.
The report added that after an American F-15 Eagle was shot down near Isfahan, Israel offered assistance in rescue efforts, though US forces ultimately rescued the two crew members themselves.
According to one source, Israel also conducted airstrikes intended to help provide cover to US forces during the rescue operation.
Security experts told WSJ that establishing temporary operational sites ahead of military campaigns is not unusual.
Michael Knights, head of research at Horizon Engage, explained that western Iraq’s vast and sparsely populated desert makes it especially suitable for temporary outposts of this kind.
According to him, American special forces also used the region during operations against Saddam Hussein in 1991 and 2003.
Israel did not officially comment on the report, though according to the article, Israeli officials hinted during the war at the existence of covert operations.
In early March, outgoing Air Force chief Tomer Bar wrote to personnel that “these days, fighters from the Air Force’s special units are carrying out special missions that can ignite the imagination.”
The newly revealed details paint a broader picture of the campaign against Iran: not only long-range airstrikes, but also covert forward deployment, significant diplomatic risk, and direct friction with local forces inside a third country.
According to the report, the outpost was one of the elements that enabled Israel to sustain prolonged operations deep inside Iran without relying solely on the distance between Israeli air bases and Iranian targets.
(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)
