Israeli forces operated from base in Iraq during the Iran war: report

Two security officials told AFP that Israeli forces established a base in an abandoned airstrip in the Najaf desert, confirming the WSJ report. There were no active forces at the site, but they may have left equipment behind.

An Iraqi security official told AFP there were indications the operation involved an Israeli technical team under American protection; the team used an old airstrip built by Saddam Hussein, CH-57 Chinook helicopters were seen on site, and a radar left behind was probably used for jamming; there were no longer military personnel at the site, though equipment may remain.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel set up a clandestine military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran, housing special forces and serving as a logistical hub; the installation was reportedly built just before the war started with the knowledge of the United States.

Iraq’s deputy commander of joint operations, Qais al-Mohamadawi, said Iraq protested to the U.S.-led coalition about an air raid in Najaf. He described forces in the Najaf desert investigating reports of movement, a clash with casualties, and stated that no foreign troops were authorized to be at the site.

Early in the Iran war, which began with U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, 2026, Israeli forces were detected in the Najaf desert in southwestern Iraq and clashed with Iraqi forces, leaving one Iraqi soldier dead and two wounded.