Israel built secret base in Iraq during Iran war, WSJ reports

Israel established a clandestine military outpost in Iraq's western desert to support its air campaign against Iran and launched airstrikes against Iraqi troops who nearly discovered the site, the Wall Street Journal News Corp ↘ 2.12% reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter including senior U.S. officials.wsj+1

The facility was constructed shortly before Operation Roaring Lion began in late February, with the knowledge of the United States but without the approval of Iraq's government. It housed Israeli air force special forces and served as a logistical hub, positioning search-and-rescue teams closer to the Iranian battlefield, roughly 1,000 miles from Israel.jpost+3

A Shepherd's Discovery

The base was nearly exposed in early March after a local shepherd reported unusual military activity, including helicopter movements, to Iraqi authorities. Iraqi troops were dispatched in Humvees at dawn to investigate, but Israeli forces used airstrikes to drive them back and prevent the site from being uncovered.ynetnews+3

The strikes killed one Iraqi soldier and wounded two others, drawing condemnation from Baghdad. "This reckless operation was carried out without coordination or approval," Lt. Gen. Qais Al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of Iraq's Joint Operations Command, told Iraqi state media.trtworld

Iraq filed a complaint with the United Nations later in March attributing the attack to foreign forces and airstrikes, initially pointing to the United States. U.S. officials told the Journal that Washington was not involved. Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service units that later inspected the area found evidence of a ground force operating "beyond the capabilities of our units," according to the report.internazionale+3

Rescue Operations and Air Dominance

No Israeli pilots were shot down during the five-week campaign, but the base's rescue capability was put to a partial test when a U.S. F-15 was downed near Isfahan. Israel offered assistance, and while American forces ultimately rescued their own two airmen, Israeli airstrikes helped secure the operation.i24news+2

Israel's air force carried out thousands of strikes against Iranian targets during the war, which began on February 28 and ended with a ceasefire on April 8 through Pakistani mediation. Outgoing Israeli air force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar alluded to the covert ground operations in a March letter to his troops, writing that special units were "carrying out extraordinary missions that can fire the imagination". The Wall Street Journal's report now provides a concrete example of what those words meant.timesofisrael+2