Israel built two covert military sites in Iraq’s western desert to support operations against Iran, according to a report Sunday by the New York Times.
The newspaper, citing Iraqi and regional officials, said a newly disclosed site was one of two covert facilities used intermittently by Israel inside Iraq for more than a year. The officials said the sites were used for air support, refuelling, and medical services and later played a role during the 12-day war against Iran in June 2025.
One of the sites came to light after Iraqi shepherd Awad al-Shammari encountered unusual military activity near al-Nukhaib in March and alerted local authorities after seeing helicopters, tents and what appeared to be a makeshift landing strip, according to The Times.