After satellite images circulated on social media claiming to have revealed the location of a secret Israel Defense Forces base allegedly established deep in the Iraqi desert, the deputy commander of Iraq's Joint Operations Command, Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawi, told official media outlets, "It appears that a certain force was deployed on the ground before the airstrike, and that the level of skill and the means at its disposal were higher than those of our units."
According to the satellite images, the military base was built on the dry bed of a lake in Wadi Hmeir, about 180 kilometers (112 miles) west of the city of Najaf, an arid and isolated area that could have provided Israel with a strategic foothold far from its borders. The images show an improvised runway about 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) long, alongside dugouts used to concentrate forces and logistical equipment.
a temporary ~1.6km airstrip was set up in a dry lake bed about 180km southwest of Najaf/Karbala https://t.co/GNp0stDYkP it probably became unusable by mid-March due to rain in the area https://t.co/fn48V5wLVd https://t.co/tcTM8E9BgR pic.twitter.com/IJq6I7xj3S
— Samir (@obretix) May 9, 2026
On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel operated a military facility in Iraq before the start of the attacks on Iran. The base, established with the knowledge of and in coordination with the US, served as a forward logistics hub for the Israeli Air Force and special commando forces, with the aim of supporting air operations against Iran.
The report also said rescue teams were stationed at the site to provide an immediate response in the event Israeli pilots were downed in enemy territory. The secrecy surrounding the facility was so critical that Israel carried out an airstrike against an Iraqi force that nearly exposed its location.
Israel also offered to help rescue American pilots whose aircraft was shot down in the area.
