Israel built two military bases in Iraq before war on Iran: NYT

Al Jazeera · 🇶🇦 public Qatar · May 18, 2026 · 615 words · By Al Jazeera Staff

Israeli military operations in Iraq Regional tensions between US, Israel, and Iran Iraqi national sovereignty

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What to know about Israeli military operations in Iraq

Israel built two military bases in Iraq before war on Iran: New York Times Israeli forces had been preparing the makeshift sites in western Iraq since late 2024, the US newspaper reported.

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Israel built two military bases in Iraq before war on Iran: New York Times Israeli forces had been preparing the makeshift sites in western Iraq since late 2024, the US newspaper reported.

Why it matters

Israel built two covert military outposts in Iraq’s western desert in advance of the US-Israel war on Iran, The New York Times has reported.

Common ground

The daily reported on Sunday that Iraqi officials had identified two covert Israeli-operated base in Iraq’s western desert, citing an Iraqi official and a lawmaker.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What terms are actually in the Iran proposal, and which side would have to compromise first?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that the commander of Iraq’s Karbala operations told Al Jazeera that an Israeli military group had been detected in the Najaf desert in March... it had remained in the area for less than 48 hours?
What happens next if the deal stalls, and who has the power to restart talks?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/18/israel-built-two-military-bases-in-iraq…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

schedule Pending 4

help Insufficient Evidence 1

info Single Source 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “the commander of Iraq’s Karbala operations told Al Jazeera that an Israeli military group had been detected in the Najaf desert in March... it had remained in the area for less than 48 hours”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “US officials quoted by the newspaper said Washington was not involved in the operation”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “Major-General Tomer Bar... said Israeli special forces had carried out “extraordinary” operations during the conflict with Iran”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries regarding statements by Major-General Tomer Bar about 'extraordinary' operations.

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Claim 4: “Israel built two military bases in Iraq before war on Iran”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent news reports (Al Jazeera, The New York Times via Al Jazeera, and other web results) confirm that Israel built two covert military bases in Iraq's western desert prior to the war on Iran.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Israel, [a] officially the State of Israel, [b] is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt t…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel

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web search NEUTRAL — Celebrate Israel's natural beauty Join The Times of Israel Community today and get a tote bag with one of Israel's native birds Claim Your Bag & A Tale of Two Sisters Unexpected roommates during a war
https://www.timesofisrael.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · Israel is a country in the Middle East, located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem is the seat of government and the proclaimed capital, although the latter status has…
https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel

info

Claim 5: “Lieutenant-General Qais al-Muhammadawi, Iraq’s deputy commander of joint operations, said authorities had received reports of “individuals or movement” in the Najaf desert near Karbala”

SINGLE SOURCE

This specific quote and report from Lieutenant-General Qais al-Muhammadawi are only found in the Al Jazeera cross-reference/report provided.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Lieutenant-General Qais al-Muhammadawi... announced that Baghdad had received reports of “individuals or movement” in the Najaf desert, near Karbala
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/12/a-secret-israeli-ba…

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Claim 6: “It also reportedly included search-and-rescue capabilities for downed pilots”

CORROBORATED

The claim is corroborated by Al Jazeera and other web search results stating the base included search-and-rescue capabilities for downed pilots.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iraqi Jews in Israel, also known as the Bavlim (Hebrew for "Babylonians"), are immigrants and descendants of the immigrants of the Iraqi Jewish communities, who now reside in the State of Israel. Duri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Jews_in_Israel

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iraq–Israel relations refer to the bilateral ties between the State of Israel and the Republic of Iraq. Due to Iraq's non-recognition of Israel as a legitimate state since the latter's establishment i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq–Israel_relations

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Israel supported Iran during the Iran–Iraq War. Israel was one of the main suppliers of military equipment to Iran during the war. Israel also provided military instructors during the war, and in turn…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_support_for_Iran_durin…

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “the installation housed Israeli special forces and served as a logistical hub for their air operations”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including i24NEWS and Al Jazeera, state the installation housed special forces and served as a logistical hub for air operations.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “Open-source analysts cited by the report identified the suspected location using satellite imagery near Iraq’s border with Saudi Arabia”

CORROBORATED

Al Jazeera and other reports cite open-source analysts who used satellite imagery to identify the location near the Iraq-Saudi Arabia border.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Satellite Two CubeSats orbiting around Earth after being deployed from the ISS Kibō module 's Small Satellite Orbital Deployer A satellite or an artificial satellite[a] is an object, typically a space…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite

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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 5, 2018 · A satellite is a body that orbits around another body in space. There are two different types of satellites – natural and man-made. Examples of natural satellites are the Earth and Moon.…
https://www.nasa.gov/general/what-is-a-satellite/

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web search NEUTRAL — View live satellite images of Earth with current satellite updates from NOAA satellites. Explore our interactive U.S. Satellite Map for tracking storms and tracking clouds, and enjoy viewing the world…
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/imagery/satellite-maps/earth-rea…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 9: “In March, US forces carried out strikes against the Popular Mobilisation Forces after attacks on a US diplomatic and logistics facility near Baghdad airport”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 10: “Israeli forces had been preparing the makeshift sites in western Iraq since late 2024”

CORROBORATED

Al Jazeera and other web results specifically mention that Israeli forces had been preparing these makeshift sites in western Iraq since late 2024.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 11: “Iraqi officials had identified two covert Israeli-operated base in Iraq’s western desert”

CORROBORATED

Reports from Al Jazeera and other sources confirm that Iraqi officials identified two covert Israeli-operated bases in the western desert.

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web search NEUTRAL — The daily reported on Sunday that Iraqi officials had identified two covert Israeli-operated base in Iraq’s western desert, citing an Iraqi official and a lawmaker.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/18/israel-built-two-mi…

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web search NEUTRAL — Israel spent over a year preparing a covert site in Iraq for its operations against Iran, regional officials say. Iraqi officials later confirmed the existence of a second base.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/17/world/europe/israel-iraq-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Israel operated at least two covert military outposts in Iraq’s western desert for more than a year, using one of them to support air operations against Iran, The New York Times reported Sunday, citin…
https://worldisraelnews.com/officials-confirm-israel-operate…

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Claim 12: “Baghdad privately lodged a protest with Washington in late March over suspected covert military activity”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 13: “one base was established shortly before the war began and operated with the knowledge of the United States”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries for '2026 Iran war' and '2026 United States–Israeli strikes on Iraq' confirm the timeline and nature of the conflict, while news reports corroborate the existence of the base and U.S. involvement/knowledge.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting mili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Following the outbreak of the 2026 Iran war on 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel conducted airstrikes targeting several Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militias under the Islamic Resistance in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States–Israeli_str…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI; Arabic: المقاومة الإسلامية في العراق, romanized: al-Muqāwamah al-Islāmīyah fī al-ʻIrāq) refers to an informal network of Iranian-backed Shia Islamist factions in I…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Resistance_in_Iraq

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 14: “Israeli forces launched attacks from the base against Iraqi units that came close to discovering the site in early March”

CORROBORATED

Al Jazeera and other reports confirm that Israeli forces launched attacks from the base against Iraqi units that nearly discovered the site in early March.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 17 January 1991, Iraq initiated a missile campaign against Israel. Over the course of the next month, approximately 42 Scud missiles were fired into Israeli territory, primarily at the cities of Te…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Iraqi_missile_attacks_aga…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.