Israel Ran Two Covert Bases in Iraqi Desert, NYT Reports
Israel secretly operated two covert military bases in the Iraqi desert, according to an investigative report published by The New York Times. The revelation represents a significant disclosure about Israeli operational reach into Arab territory and is likely to reverberate across regional diplomatic and security calculations.
The report details how the bases were used as part of Israel's broader operational posture during a period of heightened regional conflict. The presence of Israeli military infrastructure inside Iraq — a country with which Israel has no formal relations — raises acute questions about Iraqi sovereignty and the extent of coordination, if any, with Iraqi authorities or external powers.
The disclosure comes amid already elevated tensions across the Middle East, including ongoing conflict involving Iran and its proxies. Iraq has historically served as a theatre for proxy operations by multiple regional actors, but confirmed Israeli basing on Iraqi soil would mark a new threshold in the conflict's geographic scope.
Regional governments, including those in Baghdad and Tehran, are expected to respond to the report, which may further complicate de-escalation efforts being pursued by several international mediators. The United States, which maintains its own military presence in Iraq, has not publicly commented on the NYT findings.
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