Tel Aviv [Israel], May 10 : Israel set up a covert military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran and later carried out airstrikes against Iraqi troops who came close to discovering the facility, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, including US officials.
As per the news report the clandestine installation was built shortly before the outbreak of hostilities with the knowledge of the US. The base, according to the report, housed Israeli special forces personnel and functioned as a logistical hub for Israeli Air Force operations targeting Iran.
The WSJ report stated that search-and-rescue teams were stationed at the site to respond in the event Israeli pilots were shot down during operations over Iranian territory. No Israeli pilots were reportedly lost during the campaign.
The Wall Street Journal report also said that after a US F-15 fighter jet was shot down near Isfahan, Israel offered assistance in rescue efforts, though US forces ultimately recovered the two airmen independently. Israeli airstrikes were reportedly conducted to help secure the rescue operation.
The covert base nearly came to light in early March after a local shepherd alerted Iraqi authorities about unusual military activity in the area, including helicopter movements. Iraqi troops were subsequently dispatched to investigate.
According to one person cited by the newspaper, Israel launched airstrikes to prevent Iraqi forces from reaching the installation. The Iraqi government condemned the strike at the time, with reports indicating that one Iraqi soldier was killed.
"This reckless operation was carried out without coordination or approval," Qais Al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of the Joint Operations Command, a central security body, told Iraqi state media following the incident.
Later in March, Iraq reportedly filed a complaint with the United Nations (US), alleging that foreign forces and airstrikes were involved and attributing the operation to the United States. However, a source cited by the newspaper said the US had no involvement in the strike.
The incident generated widespread speculation across Iraqi and Arab media regarding the identity of the forces involved.
Meanwhile, the United States and Iran could resume negotiations as early as next week in Islamabad, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.
The report said both sides are working through mediators on a one-page,14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) intended to establish the framework for a month-long negotiating process aimed at ending the conflict.
Regional tensions escalated after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered retaliatory attacks by Tehran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy shipping corridor.
A ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation came into effect on April 8, though the first round of talks in Islamabad on April 11 failed to produce a durable agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a defined end date.
Since April 13, the US has maintained a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.
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