Possible location of the alleged Israeli secret base in Iraq (Courtesy: @obretix)
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel established a secret military facility in the Iraqi desert to support its air operations against Iran, and then carried out air strikes on Iraqi forces after they came close to discovering the site.According to the report, the secret facility was built shortly before the start of the conflict with Iran and with the prior knowledge of the United States. The United States and Israel launched strikes across the Islamic Republic on February 28, sparking war in the Middle East.
The base allegedly hosted Israeli special forces and also served as a logistics hub for air operations targeting Iran.According to the report, the site included search and rescue teams ready to assist in the event that Israeli pilots were shot down during their missions over Iranian territory.
However, no Israeli pilots were reported missing during the campaign.The report also stated that after a US F-15 fighter jet was shot down near Isfahan, Iran, Israel offered to assist in recovery operations, but US forces independently recovered the pilot and weapons system officer. Israel reportedly carried out strikes in connection with securing these recovery efforts.
How the secret base was almost revealed
The base was nearly threatened in early March after a local shepherd alerted Iraqi authorities to unusual activity in the area, including helicopter movements.
Iraqi forces were then sent to investigate.This prompted Israel to launch air strikes to prevent Iraqi forces from reaching the facility. Baghdad condemned the incident at the time, saying that an Iraqi soldier had been killed.Qais al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, told official media, “This reckless operation was carried out without coordination or approval.”Later that month, Iraq filed a complaint with the United Nations, alleging foreign involvement in the strikes and initially blaming the United States.
However, a source cited in the report denied Washington’s involvement.
Will the US-Iranian talks resume?
The report also said that Washington and Tehran may resume talks as early as next week in Islamabad, Pakistan, with mediation efforts focusing on a draft of a 14-point memorandum of understanding aimed at creating a framework for a month-long negotiation process aimed at de-escalation.An initial 15-day ceasefire took effect on April 8, but initial talks in Islamabad on April 11 failed to reach a permanent agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce without a specific end date.(with ANI inputs)
