Israel Reportedly Builds 2 Secret Military Bases in Iraqi Desert

JAKARTA - Israel is reported to have built two secret military locations in the western desert of Iraq to support a military aggression against Iran.

Citing officials in Iraq and the region, a report in The New York Times said one of the newly revealed sites was part of two secret facilities that Israel has used periodically in Iraq for more than a year.

Quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Monday, May 18, the source of the report said the facility was used by Israel for air support, refueling, and medical services, as well as used during the 12-day war against Iran in June 2025.

One of the locations is said to have begun to be revealed after an Iraqi shepherd, named Awad al-Shammari, discovered suspicious military activity near al-Nukhaib last March.

The newspaper said Al-Shammari saw a helicopter, tents, and an area that was suspected of being used as an emergency landing strip, before he reported it to local authorities. However, according to the report, Al-Shammari then disappeared and was found dead.

Iraqi forces sent to investigate the site were also reportedly attacked, leaving one soldier dead and two others wounded.

In early May, The Wall Street Journal also reported that Israel had established a secret military location in the western Iraqi desert to support operations against Iran.

Responding to the report, a senior Iraqi security official, speaking to Anadolu, denied the presence of Israeli military activity in the area and denied the claim.

Israeli officials said Iraqi forces did face a "mysterious" air operation in the al-Nukhaib desert region last March and the incident was dealt with at the time.