WSJ: Secret Forward Base in Iraq Supported Israel’s Air Campaign Against Iran

Israel established a covert military base in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal,. The facility was set up shortly before the start of the war, with US knowledge, and reportedly served as a logistical hub for the Israeli Air Force as well as an operational site for special forces and search-and-rescue teams.

The WSJ states that rescue units were positioned at the base to respond in case Israeli pilots were downed inside Iran. In practice, no Israeli pilot required extraction. However, when a US F-15 was reportedly shot down near Isfahan, Israel offered assistance in the rescue operation, though American forces ultimately carried it out themselves. The report also claims Israel conducted airstrikes to help secure the operation.

According to the WSJ, the base was nearly exposed in early March after a local shepherd reported unusual activity in the area, including helicopter flights. Iraqi security forces subsequently dispatched units to investigate. Sources familiar with the matter said Israel prevented them from approaching through airstrikes.

The Iraqi military later reported that one soldier was killed and two others were wounded during the incident. Lieutenant General Qais al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of Iraq’s Joint Operations Command, condemned the strike, calling it a reckless operation carried out without coordination or authorization.Iraq later filed a complaint to the United Nations, initially attributing the strike to US forces, though the report states the Americans were not involved.Additional Iraqi units, including counterterrorism forces, were deployed to the area and reportedly found evidence of military presence. 

The report provides rare insight into Israel’s management of an air campaign conducted at a distance of roughly 1,600 kilometers from its territory. The base in western Iraq reportedly enabled closer positioning of rescue and special operations forces, improving response times in emergencies.

Security experts cited in the report noted that establishing temporary forward operating sites before military campaigns is a common practice. Michael Knights, senior fellow at Horizon Engage, said western Iraq’s vast, sparsely populated desert makes it particularly suitable for such deployments, adding that U.S. special forces also used the region during operations against Saddam Hussein in 1991 and 2003.

The article also quotes outgoing Israeli Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, who wrote to personnel in early March, saying that “In these days, special forces units of the Air Force are carrying out special missions that can ignite the imagination.”