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Iraq's military moved forces into the desert between Najaf and Karbala on Tuesday, escorting journalists to the site of what U.S. and Israeli media reports had described as a secret Israeli base — a claim Iraqi officials firmly deny, insisting no long-term foreign presence was ever established there.

Senior Iraqi officers said the deployment was intended to counter allegations first published by the Wall Street Journal, which claimed Israel had operated a logistical hub in Iraq during its war with Iran. Israeli officials have not commented on the report.

Coverage Comparison

The story has been covered by multiple outlets with different emphases. Africa News reported the Iraqi military's movement and the denial of the secret base, focusing on the lack of evidence of a permanent installation. The Jerusalem Post, an English-language Israeli publication, framed the deployment as Iraq's effort to defend its territory and noted the involvement of Iranian-backed militias in the search. Both sources agree on the core facts but differ in their framing, with the Jerusalem Post highlighting regional tensions and the role of the militias.

Key Claims

  • Iraq's military moved forces into the desert between Najaf and Karbala to counter allegations of a secret Israeli base, according to multiple sources.
  • Iraqi officials denied the allegations, insisting no long-term foreign presence was ever established there, as reported by both Africa News and the Jerusalem Post.
  • A foreign group was detected in the desert in early March, and Iraqi troops came under aerial attack when approaching the area, according to Iraqi military officials quoted by the Associated Press.
  • No evidence of a permanent installation was found by Iraqi units that reached the area shortly after the incident, according to Iraqi officials.
  • A small foreign force may have briefly established a presence in the area, but there was no base, no airstrip, nor any sign of administrative or military work, as stated by the Iraqi Chief of Staff.
  • The Iranian-backed militias, known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, launched their own operation alongside the army to search for the base, according to a report by the Jerusalem Post.
  • There is pressure from the US for Iraq to disarm Iranian-backed militias, which are refusing to disarm and are pressuring the incoming prime minister, as reported by a single outlet and not independently verified.
  • Disagreements within the Coordination Framework forces regarding the distribution of ministries may cause the prime minister-designate to fail to form a government, a claim carried by a single outlet with low confidence.

Perspectives

General Abdul-Amir Yarallah, Chief of the General Staff of the Iraqi Armed Forces, dismissed the claims as misinformation during a visit to the site. "All what has been said by the Israeli and American media that there is an Israeli base — it is here in front of you," he said. "We believe it was a small force that came and stayed for no longer than 48 hours." He added that Iraqi units had reached the area shortly after the incident and found no evidence of a permanent installation.

Maj. Gen. Tahseen al-Khafaji, spokesperson for the Iraqi defense ministry, told the Associated Press that the military received intelligence on March 3 about "a small enemy force" in the Najaf desert. When Iraqi troops approached the area the next day, they came under aerial attack. "Within 25 kilometers, the force which went there faced an aerial attack, which led to the martyrdom of one of our fighters and injured two others," al-Khafaji said.

The Israeli perspective, as reflected in the Jerusalem Post report, emphasizes that Iraq's army is being told to "defend" the desert and homeland so that "Iraq will not be a launchpad or arena for aggression against neighboring countries." The report also notes the involvement of Iranian-backed militias in the search for the base, which is a point of contention given US pressure on Iraq to disarm these groups.

Analysis

The incident highlights the complex security dynamics in Iraq, where regional rivalries and the presence of Iranian-backed militias intersect with US and Israeli interests. The Iraqi government's response—deploying troops and escorting journalists—appears designed to counter the narrative of a secret Israeli base while asserting control over its territory. However, the lack of independent verification and the conflicting reports underscore the challenges in assessing what actually occurred in the desert.