Iraqi media have recently been swept up by a report in the Wall Street Journal on Saturday regarding a secret Israeli base in Iraq. This comes at a particularly sensitive time in the country, as Baghdad is in the midst of forming a new government after finally tapping a new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, last week. As such, the new report comes at a critical juncture in Iraq.
Baghdad is seeking to respond to US pressure to rein in and disarm Iran-backed militias. Reports that Iraq’s sovereignty may have been undermined by a foreign force operating in the desert will cause controversy in Baghdad. Iraq is an implacable foe of Israel, and this will appear embarrassing to the new leadership.
Iraq’s media is also interested in the US role in the recent reports. Iraq has had a complex and rocky relationship with the US. The US invaded the country in 2003 and deposed Saddam Hussein. Although Kurds and Shi’ites backed the invasion, the Shi’ite community is generally closer to Iran today and is infiltrated by militias that are hostile to the US.
During the recent war with Iran, the militias carried out around 1,000 attacks on the Kurdistan region and on US diplomatic posts. As such, the militias may see the new report as evidence of the US and Israel collaborating.
One of the militias, Kataib Hezbollah, kidnapped a US journalist during the war. She was subsequently freed. The US has offered four $10 million rewards for information leading to the identification of militia leaders.
Shafaq News in Iraq is reporting that the US “blocked an investigation into the Israeli base.”
A separate report at Baghdad Today in Iraq notes that “the head of the Security Media Cell at the Joint Operations Command, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, denied on Sunday (May 10, 2026) reports of the presence of any unlicensed forces or military equipment in the deserts of Karbala and Najaf, following extensive search operations that included the region and other areas in Iraq.”
Iraqi media: Force did not coordinate with Iraq
The site +964 in Iraq also reported on the WSJ article. It noted “on March 5, 2026, the Deputy Commander of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Qais al-Muhammadawi, revealed that one member of the security forces was killed and two others were wounded while investigating suspicious activity in the Najaf desert on the borders of Karbala, by air fire.
He pointed out that the force that arrived at the location did not coordinate with Iraq, and a protest note was submitted to the international coalition requesting clarification. He emphasized that ‘the force was reinforced with two counter-terrorism regiments to search the area and investigate the location, but they did not find anything.’”
Iraq now appears on edge, and is concerned about new incidents. “The Security Media Cell denied on Sunday the existence of a new airdrop in the Karbala desert, indicating that the incident dates back to last March and the necessary measures were taken regarding the unauthorized airdrop incident in the Al-Nukhaib desert,” the Iraq News Agency noted. The Iraqi website Hath al-Youm published several reports on the controversy.
Meanwhile, an Iraqi security source told Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath in Saudi Arabia that military movements of “unknown origin” were observed in the Najaf desert in western Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War, “suggesting they might be related to a temporary airdrop operation in the area.” The source “added that the American side informed the Iraqi forces at the time of the need not to approach the area for security reasons.”
This report could feed distrust of the US. Iraq and others reading the Arabic report in the region may see this as the US enabling a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. In a sensitive time, when some Gulf states are also concerned about the conflict with Iran, this could have repercussions.
The issue of repercussions is important. A new article at Saudi Arabia’s Arab News by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki Al Faisal notes, “had the Israeli plan to ignite war between us and Iran succeeded, the region would have been plunged into ruin and destruction. Thousands of our sons and daughters would have been lost in a battle in which we had no stake. Israel would have succeeded in imposing its will.”
Riyadh is increasingly concerned about Israel’s more aggressive role in the region. News from Iraq may influence Saudi Arabia as well, and Arabic news coverage in Saudi media may have this effect.
Commentary in Iraq is incredulous about the report. Some have argued that it is surprising that Iraq, with all its security forces, couldn’t prevent this. “Once again, America’s goals from its occupation of Iraq in 2003 were all achieved, foremost among them making it a weak, dilapidated, and submissive country,” one commentator notes.
Meanwhile, the Faytuks Network Intelligence & Geo-Intelligence Teams claimed to have found the disused airstrip, which they call “Israeli” and say was “used to support combat operations against Iran in the Najaf Desert of southern Iraq. When an Iraqi military convoy approached, the Israeli Air Force attacked it, causing casualties and the loss of a vehicle.”
An Iraqi social media account also claimed to have found an image of a shepherd killed when he came upon the site. “Image of the martyr, the shepherd Awad Hadi Ali Al-Zarghouti, who was killed by Israeli forces in the Najaf desert, along with the burning of his car.” It also claims to have found footage from March near the site, captured during a night clash.
It’s possible this new cycle will blow over in Iraq. This is because Iraq has many issues to confront at the moment, including continued Iranian attacks on Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq, an oil and economic crisis, as well as relations with the US and jockeying among various groups for ministries in the new government. Dealing with a March controversy based on a single WSJ report may seem politically unhelpful to the new government.
