Israel secretly constructed two military outposts in the Iraqi desert and operated them for months without the knowledge or permission of the Iraqi government, the New York Times reported in a major investigation published over the weekend. The bases served as staging and intelligence-gathering points for Israeli operations against Iran during the escalating conflict between the two countries.
The revelation has ignited a diplomatic crisis between Israel and Iraq. Baghdad was reportedly unaware of the Israeli presence on its sovereign territory until the Times report was published. Iraqi officials reacted with fury, with senior government figures demanding an explanation from both Israel and the United States, which is believed to have been aware of the installations.
According to the Times investigation, the two outposts were located in remote areas of the western Iraqi desert, far from population centers but strategically positioned to monitor Iranian military movements and facilitate intelligence operations. The bases were staffed by small teams of Israeli military and intelligence personnel who rotated in and out through unmarked flights.
The existence of Israeli military facilities on Iraqi soil represents a significant escalation in the regional conflict and raises serious questions about the erosion of Iraqi sovereignty. Iraq has officially maintained a neutral position in the Israel-Iran confrontation, and the discovery of covert Israeli bases threatens to drag Baghdad into a conflict it has sought to avoid.
TASS reported that the revelation has drawn sharp criticism from Iran, which characterized the Israeli presence in Iraq as proof that the war is being conducted through illegal operations on the territory of sovereign nations. Tehran demanded that the international community condemn what it called a flagrant violation of international law.
Der Spiegel devoted extensive coverage to the story, noting that the secret bases highlight the extent to which the Iran-Israel conflict has expanded beyond the traditional theaters of operation. The German magazine described the Iraqi desert installations as part of a broader Israeli strategy to encircle Iran with intelligence and military assets positioned across multiple neighboring countries.
For the United States, the revelation creates an awkward situation. Washington maintains thousands of troops in Iraq and has significant leverage over Baghdad's security apparatus. Questions about whether American officials were complicit in or turned a blind eye to the Israeli installations are likely to complicate the already fraught US-Iraq relationship and could fuel calls for the withdrawal of American forces.
The Israeli government has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the bases, maintaining its standard policy of not commenting on intelligence operations abroad. However, the detailed nature of the Times reporting, including satellite imagery and interviews with unnamed officials, leaves little room for doubt about the accuracy of the claims.