Iraq denies reports of secret Israeli base in the country

The Iraqi armed forces on Monday denied reports of unauthorized foreign military installations in the deserts of Karbala and Najaf, rejecting claims of a covert military presence linked to the Israel-Iran conflict.

In a statement posted on X, the military said rumors surrounding a secret base stemmed from a clash on March 5 involving Iraqi security forces and what it described as “unidentified, unlicensed detachments.”

The military said inspections carried out by Iraq’s Joint Operations Command since then had confirmed that “no unauthorised bases or forces have been present” in the area.

Baghdad also warned it would pursue legal action against individuals or outlets spreading what it called “misleading information” and “malicious rumors” that undermine Iraq’s sovereignty and damage the reputation of its security institutions.

The statement came days after the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had established a secret military base in the Iraqi desert to support air strikes against Iran.