Israel Built Secret Iraq Base to Support Iran Airstrikes

Israel built a secret military base in the Iraqi desert in February with US knowledge to support airstrikes on Iran, The Times of Israel reported on Sunday, citing The Wall Street Journal.

According to the Journal, which cited unnamed US officials and other sources, the base was set up shortly before US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on 28 February. It served the Israeli Air Force as a logistical and technical support center. Special forces and search-and-rescue teams were also stationed there, ready to intervene if Israeli pilots were shot down over Iran.

Open-source satellite analysis identified a makeshift airstrip on a dry lakebed about 180 km south-west of Karbala. The sparsely populated area made it suitable for covert operations.

The base was nearly exposed in early March when Iraqi soldiers approached the site after a local shepherd alerted them to unusual military activity, including helicopter flights. Israeli forces responded with airstrikes to protect the installation.

(toi, im)