Senior Iraqi officials have accused the United States of helping facilitate a secret Israeli military base in Iraq during the war on Iran , following reports that Israeli forces operated from a covert outpost in the southern Najaf desert.
In comments to The New Arab, a senior Iraqi official in the office of outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said the operation had taken place "with American assistance and under American cover".
The remarks come after The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Israel had established a secret military base in Iraq to support air operations against Iran during the conflict.
The Iraqi official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, described the incident as "an American deception" rather than an Israeli intelligence success.
"Iraq was subjected to an American deception, and this cannot be considered an intelligence superiority by the Israeli occupation forces or even military progress," the official said.
He said US forces had used the cover of the international coalition presence in Iraq to enable Israeli activity inside the country, accusing Washington of exploiting agreements with Baghdad "to serve another party, namely the [Israeli] state".
The official also claimed Iraq had faced years of unofficial restrictions on acquiring advanced air defence systems and military technology, alleging that both Washington and Israel were behind those limits.
According to the official, an Iraqi military unit moved towards the site on the night of 4 March after a shepherd from the al-Zakareet tribe reported helicopter landings and suspicious military movements in the area.
The force, reportedly conducting reconnaissance, came under heavy attack from combat helicopters around four kilometres from the site. One Iraqi soldier was killed, and two others were wounded, forcing the patrol to withdraw.
The official said Baghdad later sent inquiries through the joint coordination mechanism with coalition forces, but claimed the United States never responded to either the incident or a subsequent Iraqi protest note.
He added that Iraqi authorities initially classified the attack as part of a broader pattern of US strikes targeting Popular Mobilisation Forces units in Iraq .
The official cautioned against exaggerating claims about the Israeli base, arguing instead that the presence was temporary and conducted under full US protection.
"It would have been possible to bury them in the Najaf desert," he said, arguing that the operation did not reflect Israeli military superiority.
He said Iraqi officials believed the force entered Iraqi territory through Syrian airspace before travelling across the western Anbar desert to the alleged base near Najaf.
The controversy has triggered political backlash in Iraq , with parliament's security and defence committee announcing plans to summon senior security commanders for questioning.
Committee member Mohammed al-Shammari described the incident as a "security breach" while suggesting the operation could have occurred only under American cover.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Security Media Cell chief Saad Maan confirmed that Iraqi forces had clashed with "unknown unauthorised groups" in March, resulting in the death of one serviceman and injuries to two others.
In a statement carried by the Iraqi state news agency, he said Iraqi forces had continued search operations in desert regions afterwards, but had found no evidence of any remaining foreign presence or equipment.
Security analyst Ahmed al-Hamdani told The New Arab that Iraq needed a major review of its security and intelligence systems, calling for reduced reliance on the United States and greater investment in advanced air defence capabilities.
The report by The Wall Street Journal said Israel had established a covert military base in Iraq during the war on Iran with US knowledge.
According to the reports, the base served as a logistical hub for the Israeli air force and housed special forces and search-and-rescue teams in case Israeli pilots were downed during operations.
The reports said the base was nearly exposed in early March after local authorities received reports of suspicious military activity in the desert region, prompting Iraqi forces to investigate.
Israeli aircraft allegedly launched strikes to keep Iraqi troops away from the area, according to the reports, in an attack that Iraqi authorities later condemned after one soldier was killed and two were wounded.
Iraqi MP Raed al-Maliki accused the United States of handing Iraqi airspace to Israel during the war, alleging Washington had ordered Iraqi radar systems to be shut down.
"What happened is a major breach for which all national intelligence and security agencies must be held accountable," he said.