Israel built two military bases in Iraq before war on Iran: New York Times
Key takeaways
- Israeli forces had been preparing the makeshift sites in western Iraq since late 2024, the US newspaper reported.
- The daily reported on Sunday that Iraqi officials had identified two covert Israeli-operated base in Iraq’s western desert, citing an Iraqi official and a lawmaker.
- Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that one base was established shortly before the war began and operated with the knowledge of the United States.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Israeli forces had been preparing the makeshift sites in western Iraq since late 2024, the US newspaper reported.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Army forces launch an investigative operation in the Nukhaib desert, southwest of Karbala and Najaf, Iraq, on Sunday, May 17, 2026, after reports of an unauthorised Israeli military presence in the area. [Ali Jabar/AP]By Al Jazeera Staff Published On 18 May 202618 May 2026Israel built two covert military outposts in Iraq’s western desert in advance of the US-Israel war on Iran, The New York Times has reported.
The daily reported on Sunday that Iraqi officials had identified two covert Israeli-operated base in Iraq’s western desert, citing an Iraqi official and a lawmaker. It said Israeli forces had been preparing to build one of the makeshift sites since late 2024, citing a regional official.