CIREBON NEWS – The Israeli fighter jet that attacked Iran apparently flew from a secret base in Iraq. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that during Operation Epic Fury the base was used to attack a number of areas in Iran.
Few know about Israel’s secret projects in the Iraqi desert. Iraqi government troops who almost discovered the secret project were finally killed by the Israeli military (IDF).
The secret base was established shortly before the US and Israel launched their military campaign against Iran in late February, according to a WSJ report citing US officials.
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The US is reportedly aware of the existence of the installation, which houses Israeli special forces, serves as a logistics center for the Israeli Air Force, and hosts a search and rescue team in case an Israeli pilot is shot down.
The post was nearly uncovered in early March after a local herder noticed unusual military activity, including helicopter flights.
The herdsman alerted the authorities. Iraqi soldiers then moved to investigate the location but came under heavy fire. The attack left one Iraqi soldier dead and two others injured.
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Baghdad initially blamed Washington after security forces found evidence that foreign military personnel had been operating in the area.
“There appeared to be certain forces on the ground before the attack, supported from the air, operating beyond the capabilities of our units,” Lt. Gen. Qais Al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of Iraq’s Joint Operations Command, told Iraqi state media after the March attack. “This reckless operation was carried out without coordination or approval,” he added.
The base reportedly helps Israel in its long-range air war against Iran, whose territory lies more than 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) from Israel.
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Israeli aircraft carried out thousands of sorties during the five-week campaign, while outposts in the Iraqi desert gave Israeli teams a commanding position closer to the battlefield.
The IDF did not comment on this latest report, which adds to growing scrutiny of how Israel’s confrontation with Iran has spilled over into a broader regional conflict, drawing the US deeper into hostilities.
Former US counter-terrorism chief Joe Kent, who resigned in protest in March, accused Israel of pushing Washington into war despite US intelligence assessments showing that Tehran was not actively building nuclear weapons.
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Kent claimed that US agencies had warned that Iran would retaliate by targeting American bases and seeking to close the Strait of Hormuz if attacked. He argued that Israel’s narrative about the Iranian threat ultimately “won the argument” in Washington, forcing the US to become involved in the conflict.
Trump administration officials denied that Israel was dragging Washington into the war. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said earlier this week that President Donald Trump was acting in “American interests”.
