BAGHDAD — May 10, 2026 : Satellite imagery and investigative reports have revealed the existence of a covert Israeli military facility established in Iraq’s western desert during the opening phase of Operation Roaring Lion, the joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran launched on 28 February 2026.
The facility was located approximately 180 kilometres west of Najaf and south of Baghdad, in a remote desert region near the Najaf–Anbar borderlands. Open-source intelligence analysts later geolocated the site to a dry lakebed area in the Himyar Valley region.
Construction and Layout of the Site
Satellite imagery from late February 2026 showed the rapid construction of an improvised 1.5-kilometre airstrip built inside a wadi to reduce aerial visibility. The site also included dugouts believed to have been used for troop concentrations and defensive positions.
Additional imagery captured in early March revealed tents, helicopters and military vehicles stationed at the facility, indicating that the base had become operational shortly before the start of the air campaign against Iran.
Analysts said the sparsely populated terrain of western Iraq provided suitable conditions for a temporary forward operating site with limited civilian activity and minimal observation. By mid-March, however, heavy rainfall and flooding reportedly rendered the airstrip unusable.
Operational Role During the Iran Campaign
According to sources familiar with the matter and reporting by The Wall Street Journal, the installation served as both a logistics hub and a combat search-and-rescue facility for the Israeli Air Force.
The base reportedly housed Israeli special forces and SAR teams tasked with recovering aircrews in the event Israeli aircraft were shot down during operations over Iranian territory. Sources said the facility had been established with the awareness of the United States, although without the approval of the Iraqi government.
Following the reported downing of a U.S. Air Force F-15 near Isfahan during the conflict, Israeli personnel at the site reportedly offered assistance for recovery operations. American forces ultimately carried out the rescue independently.
No Israeli aircraft were confirmed lost during the campaign, and the Israeli search-and-rescue teams stationed at the base were not required to conduct recovery missions.
Discovery by Iraqi Authorities
The covert installation reportedly remained undetected until early March 2026, when a local shepherd informed Iraqi authorities about unusual military activity and helicopter flights in the area.
In response, Iraqi forces dispatched a patrol using HMMWV vehicles to investigate the location. During the approach, the patrol reportedly came under an airstrike intended to prevent exposure of the facility.
One Iraqi soldier was killed and two others were wounded in the strike. Iraq subsequently deployed two units from its Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) to the area, where personnel reportedly recovered evidence indicating the presence of foreign military operations.
Lieutenant General Qais Al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of Iraq’s Joint Operations Command, stated that the operation appeared to involve ground forces supported by air assets and exceeded the operational capabilities of Iraqi units stationed in the region.
He described the presence of the force as a “reckless operation” conducted without coordination or sovereign approval from Baghdad.
Political and Diplomatic Fallout
The incident triggered political tensions inside Iraq, with the Iraqi parliament summoning the defence and interior ministers to explain the breach of Iraqi territory and airspace.
Initially, Iraqi authorities attributed the strike on their patrol unit to the United States and later filed a complaint with the United Nations regarding foreign military activity inside Iraq. U.S. officials reportedly denied involvement in the specific incident.
Tensions escalated further in late March 2026 after a U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II conducted a strike on Iraq’s Al-Habbaniyah military base in Anbar province. The strike reportedly hit a military healthcare clinic and an engineering unit, killing seven Iraqi soldiers and injuring 13 others.
Iraq’s Ministry of Defence condemned the incident and summoned the U.S. chargé d’affaires, while several Iraqi political factions renewed demands for the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country.
Subsequent Iraqi intelligence assessments reportedly concluded that the “unidentified force” initially believed to be American was in fact an Israeli detachment operating covertly inside Iraqi territory.
The Israel Defense Forces has not publicly commented on the reports or the alleged operation in western Iraq.
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