Ahead of the joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran, the Israeli Air Force established a clandestine forward base in the Iraqi desert. Built on a dried-up lake basin, the secret military facility housed a logistical hub, special forces units, and an airstrip, The Wall Street Journal and several Israeli media outlets reveal.
After locals reported military activity at the height of Operation Epic Fury, Israeli forces successfully blocked the Iraqi military from approaching the remote installation. According to the WSJ, “Israel set up a clandestine military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran and launched airstrikes against Iraqi troops who almost discovered it early in the war, people familiar with the matter including U.S. officials said.”
“Israel built the installation, which housed special forces and served as a logistical hub for the Israeli air force, just before the war started with the knowledge of the U.S., the people said,” the business daily added.
A senior Iraqi military official confirmed the existence of a clandestine Israeli base, the newspaper Israel Hayom reported:
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.
Located roughly 500 miles from Israel, the logistical base also served as a possible staging ground for search-and-rescue missions for downed pilots. When a crew member of a U.S. F-16E went missing over Iran, Israel offered to assist the rescue operation. The Jerusalem Post reported Saturday that “IDF special forces rescue units had been clandestinely placed in Iraq, in order to have the capability to jump into action to rescue any IDF pilots who might crash-land if they were shot down.”
“In the end, no Israeli pilots were shot down, so the Israeli rescue team did not need to act, but it was there to be ready for the worst-case scenarios. American pilots were shot down and had to be rescued by US forces in real time,” the newspaper added.
The Israeli Air Force did carry out strikes to prevent the Iranians from capturing the U.S. pilot, Israel’s Ynetnews reported:
According to the sources, Israel built the facility shortly before the war began, with U.S. knowledge. It housed special forces and served as a logistics hub for the air force. Rescue teams were also stationed there in case Israeli pilots were shot down. No Israeli pilots were downed during the war.When a U.S. F-15 was shot down near Isfahan, Israel offered to help, but American forces rescued the crew themselves. However, according to the report, Israel did carry out airstrikes to help secure the rescue operation.
While this is reportedly Israel’s first large-scale ‘overseas’ mission of its kind, the IDF special forces have been conducting operations deep within Iranian territory. Notably, during the June 2025 ’12-Day War,’ Israeli commandos on the ground coordinated with the air force to strike critical nuclear, military, and regime targets.
“We achieved full control over Iranian airspace and every location we chose to operate in,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said days after war. “This was made possible in part due to the integration and deception carried out by air and ground commando forces.”
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