Israel prepared covert Iraq site before Iran war - NYT

Israel began preparing a covert site in Iraq more than a year before using it in operations against Iran, The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing regional officials.

The report said the site, hidden in Iraq’s western desert, was used during the 12-day war against Iran in June 2025.

The New York Times also cited two Iraqi security officials as saying that in both the 12-day war and the current one, Washington compelled Iraq to shut down its radars to protect US aircraft.

The Wall Street Journal had previously reported the presence of an Israeli outpost in Iraq. Iraq’s security forces spokesman Lt. Gen. Saad Maan told The New York Times that Baghdad had “no information regarding the locations of any Israeli military bases.”