Israel built a secret military base in Iraq to support its campaign in Iran: Report

As the tension in
West Asia continues to escalate, reports are emerging that Israel has built a secret military base in Iraq to support its military campaign in Iran. The revelation was made in a Wall Street Journal report that stated that the secret infrastructure was made back in February.

The American news outlet cited US officials and other sources, noting that Israel built the base shortly before it joined hands with the United States to conduct
strikes on Iran on February 28. The sources told WSJ that the site served as a hub for logistics to support the Israeli Air Force.

Apart from this, it reportedly housed special forces troops and search-and-rescue teams poised to act if any Israeli pilots were downed. The newspaper revealed that in March, the Iraqi forces nearly discovered the site, prompting Israeli troops to launch airstrikes against them.

‘Unusual military activity’

As per the report, the preventive Israeli strikes killed one Iraqi soldier. At that time, the Iraqi media reported that a local shepherd witnessed “unusual military activity,” including helicopters and gunfire in a remote area.

According to WSJ, the Israeli strikes succeeded in deterring Iraqi forces from any further investigation. Meanwhile, the
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has declined to comment on the report. Initially, Iraq blamed the March attack on the United States.

At that time, it said: “This reckless operation was carried out without coordination or approval.” However, US officials categorically maintained that the US was not involved in the operation.

“It appears there was a certain force on the ground before the strike, supported from the air, operating beyond the capabilities of our units,” a top Iraqi military official said at the time.

How the US was blamed

The WSJ report also pointed to a statement by then-Israeli Air Force chief Major General Tomer Bar made in March, when he said that special forces had been conducting “extraordinary” operations during the conflict with Iran.

“The troops of the air force’s special units are currently carrying out extraordinary missions that can spark one’s imagination,” Bar said at that time, without elaborating further. Meanwhile, experts told WSJ that the western desert of
Iraq, where the reported base was located, is a perfect spot for a clandestine military outpost, given its sparse population and vast size.

“It’s normal that before operations you reconnoitre and set up these kinds of locations,” Michael Knights, the head of the Horizon Engage intelligence firm, told the American newspaper. It is pertient to note that Iraq lies in a key location between
Jordan and Iran.

The country was dragged into the Iran war amid strikes in its territory from both sides, as it has long walked a tightrope between its relationship to both Washington and Tehran. For the longest time, the United States has demanded that Baghdad disarm powerful
Iran-backed groups, which the US designates as terrorist organisations and which hold significant sway inside Iraq.

During the latest war, these groups targeted American interests in Iraq, including the US embassy in
Baghdad, its diplomatic and logistics facility at the capital’s airport, and oil fields operated by foreign companies. In response to this, the US forces reportedly struck their positions and bases, killing dozens of fighters.