Israeli forces operated at least two covert bases in Iraq’s western desert that may have been used to support military action against Iran during the 12-day conflict in June 2025 and the continuing war with Tehran, according to a New York Times report.
The report said one of the bases was uncovered by chance when an Iraqi shepherd came across the site, which was being closely guarded in the desert. His family believes the discovery cost him his life.
According to the report, the shepherd contacted Iraq’s regional military command to report what he had seen: soldiers, helicopters and tents clustered around a landing strip.
After receiving the report, the Iraqi army dispatched a reconnaissance unit, which came under attack. One soldier was killed, two others were wounded and two vehicles were bombed before the force withdrew, the report said.
⭕️ Israel established a second illegal military base in Iraq (with US support) for the war on Iran, according to the New York Times. https://t.co/BC0fQBQwri pic.twitter.com/7OZxiahhAg
— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) May 17, 2026
In public, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command said “foreign” forces had attacked Iraqi soldiers and stated that complaints had been raised at the United Nations Security Council.
In private, however, the chief of staff of Iraq’s armed forces, Gen Abdul-Amir Yarallah, contacted his counterparts in the US military, according to the report. Quoting an Iraqi general, the report said: “They confirmed the force is not an American force, so we understood it was Israeli.”
Two Bases Said to Have Operated for More than a Year
The New York Times report said the Israeli military had operated two bases intermittently for well over a year, both located in Iraq’s western desert. It said the finding confirmed an earlier Wall Street Journal report that had referred to one Israeli outpost in Iraq.
Exclusive: Israel built a secret military post in Iraq to support its campaign against Iran and launched strikes on Iraqi troops who almost found it early in the war https://t.co/f9FISMgdNs
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) May 9, 2026
Regional security officials told the newspaper that the base discovered by the shepherd existed before the current conflict and was also used during the 12-day war against Tehran in June 2025.
One regional official was quoted as saying: “Israeli forces began preparing to build the makeshift base as far back as late 2024.”
The report said the outpost was intended to reduce the distance Israeli aircraft needed to travel to reach Iran.
Iraq Has Not Publicly Acknowledged the Bases
According to the report, Iraq’s government has still not acknowledged the Israeli bases. The report said such an acknowledgement would be politically sensitive because Iraq has no diplomatic relations with ‘Israel’ and its population views Tel Aviv as an enemy.
The report also said the United States had known about the bases since June 2025 or possibly earlier. It added that this would suggest Washington had not informed Iraq that hostile forces were operating on its territory.
During both the 12-day war last year and the current conflict, two Iraqi security officials told the New York Times that Washington compelled Iraq to shut down its radars to protect US aircraft. The report added that this made Baghdad more dependent on US forces to detect hostile activity.
Source: The New York Times