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The Wall Street Journal, citing US sources, has revealed that Israel set up a secret military base in the Iraqi desert before the outbreak of the war with Iran, with the aim of providing air cover for its operations.
The move came last February, with the base in Anbar province hosting special forces and Israeli search-and-rescue units, set up to deal with the possible downing of warplanes inside Iran.
According to the report, Tel Aviv offered the services of its secret facility after a US F-15 fighter jet was shot down near Isfahan, but US forces declined and carried out the rescue of the pilots independently, while Israel conducted parallel air raids to secure the area.
How was the base discovered?
Strikingly, the base was not uncovered by Iraqi security agencies but by a shepherd in the area who noticed unusual military activity, including helicopter movements and gunfire, and reported it, prompting Iraqi forces to launch an urgent investigation. Israel, however, moved quickly and carried out intensive strikes that left one Iraqi soldier dead.
At the time, Iraq questioned the circumstances of the incident and held the United States responsible for the attack. Qais al-Mohammadi, deputy commander of Iraqi army operations, said: “This reckless operation was carried out without coordination or approval.”
By contrast, another Iraqi military official voiced unease about what had happened, saying: “It appears that a force was present on the ground before the strike, backed from the air and operating beyond the capabilities of our units.”
Israeli Air Force Chief of Staff Tomer Bar had previously stated that special forces were carrying out “exceptional operations” during the confrontation with Iran, without giving further details.
Why the Iraqi desert in particular?
An intelligence expert explained that the western Iraqi desert is an ideal environment for such secret bases because of its vast expanse and sparse population, adding: “It was essential for Baghdad to conduct reconnaissance and inspections before any moves.”
This desert, which stretches west of the Euphrates River in Anbar province and connects with the deserts of Syria and Jordan, is an extremely arid area inhabited by Bedouins and covers around 23% of Iraq’s territory.
The region includes the towns of al-Qaim, Anah, Hit and Rutba, and is considered one of Iraq’s richest areas in natural resources, containing confirmed phosphate reserves estimated at about two billion tonnes, as well as free sulphur, silica sand and natural gas.
These developments come against a highly complex political and military backdrop, as Baghdad strives to maintain a delicate balance between its two most powerful allies: Washington and Tehran.
Amid this fragile balance, the United States continues to press Iraq to disarm Iran-backed groups that Washington designates as terrorist organisations. These groups target US interests inside Iraq, from its embassy in Baghdad to diplomatic and logistical facilities, and on to oil sites operated by foreign companies.