Iraqi Lawmakers Demand Probe into Secret Israeli Base Built for War on Iran
Members of Iraq’s parliament say a clandestine U.S.-Israeli military installation operated in the western desert and call its presence a grave violation of national sovereignty.
Iraq, PUREWILAYAH.COM — Iraqi lawmakers and political figures have demanded an urgent investigation into reports that Israel established a secret military base deep inside Iraq to support its air campaign against Iran, describing the alleged facility as a dangerous breach of Iraqi sovereignty carried out with U.S. knowledge and protection.
The calls follow a report by The Wall Street Journal, later echoed by Israeli media, which claimed that Israeli forces built a covert military installation in the desert between the provinces of Najaf and Karbala before launching their military operations against Iran.
According to the report, the facility served as a forward operating base for Israeli special forces, a logistics hub for the Israeli Air Force, and a rescue center prepared to recover downed pilots if Israeli aircraft were shot down during missions over Iran.
Iraqi Lawmakers Denounce “Dangerous Security Scandal”
Abu Turab al-Tamimi, a member of the Badr parliamentary bloc within Iraq’s Coordination Framework, said the existence of the base represents a major security scandal that cannot be ignored.
“The American-Israeli base is still operating in western Iraq, and Iraqi forces are not allowed to approach it,” al-Tamimi said, according to Iraqi media.
He added that information first published two months ago about the base’s existence “was accurate,” stressing that the installation remains active and that Iraqi security forces “have no right to get close to it.”
Al-Tamimi said the Iraqi government was initially unaware of the facility but later learned of its existence through security agencies.
He described the presence of both the alleged Israeli base and American forces in Iraq as “a dangerous security scandal” and asked how hostile forces were able to penetrate deep into Iraqi territory without the knowledge of border guards, the Interior Ministry, or the Joint Operations Command.
He called for an immediate investigation and for committees to be formed to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.
Ahmed Majid, a Kurdish political figure, also warned that Iraq’s sovereignty was being violated by both Washington and Tel Aviv.
“It is no longer a secret that Iraq’s airspace is under American control,” he said, adding that Iraqi territory and skies are being used “to target neighboring countries and carry out hostile operations.”
Uday Abdul-Hadi, another member of the Coordination Framework, issued a similar appeal, insisting that Iraq’s sovereignty and border security cannot be neglected.
Iraqi Military Denies Reports of Secret Desert Base
The parliamentary demands stand in sharp contrast to official statements by Iraq’s military leadership.
Lieutenant General Saad Maan, head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, said extensive inspections conducted in the deserts of Karbala and Najaf found no foreign troops or military equipment.
Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, likewise rejected reports about a hidden military installation.
“The reports regarding the existence of a secret base in a desert area of Iraq are not true,” al-Numan said.
He stated that earlier clarifications issued by the Security Media Cell and the Joint Operations Command had already addressed the issue in full and that “there is nothing new on this matter.”
Wall Street Journal Revealed Covert Israeli Installation
The controversy began after The Wall Street Journal reported, citing American and regional sources, that Israel had secretly constructed a military base in Iraq with prior knowledge of the United States.
The report said the installation was built in a remote desert area on the bed of a dried-up lake and included a temporary runway approximately 1.6 kilometers long.
Israeli Channel 12 later published an aerial image allegedly showing the facility.
According to the report, the base functioned as a staging point for Israeli special forces and as a logistical center supporting air operations against Iran.
Search-and-rescue teams were also stationed there to assist Israeli pilots if aircraft were downed during combat missions.
One source cited by the report said that at the beginning of the war, Israeli forces launched airstrikes against Iraqi units that had approached the area and were on the verge of discovering the installation.
The base was reportedly nearly exposed in early March after a local shepherd observed unusual military activity, including helicopter landings and takeoffs, and reported what he had seen to Iraqi authorities.
The Iraqi military then dispatched forces to investigate, but according to the report, Israeli airstrikes were used to keep them away and prevent the facility from being uncovered.
The report also claimed that after a U.S.-made F-15 aircraft crashed near Isfahan, Israel offered to assist in recovering the crew and launched supporting air operations from the Iraqi base.
Questions Over Iraq’s Sovereignty
The allegations have reignited concerns in Iraq over the extent of U.S. military influence and the possibility that Iraqi territory and airspace are being used to support foreign operations without Baghdad’s full control.
For Iraqi lawmakers demanding answers, the issue goes beyond a single military installation. They argue that if confirmed, the presence of a secret Israeli base built with American knowledge would constitute one of the most serious violations of Iraq’s sovereignty in recent years.