{"id":750,"date":"2026-05-18T19:40:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=750"},"modified":"2026-05-18T19:40:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:40:34","slug":"israel-built-two-secret-military-bases-in-iraq-to-aid-iran-war-new-york-times-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=750","title":{"rendered":"Israel built two secret military bases in Iraq to aid Iran war, New York Times reports"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"t-content t-content--edition\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Israel built two secret military bases in Iraq to aid Iran war, New York Times reports<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\" data-media-video-fd8b9988-9d62-4b9b-933c-0b99145ad23c data-wrapper-video-player data-show-hidden-video-player=\"FD8B9988-9D62-4B9B-933C-0B99145AD23C\" data-autoplay-video-link data-youtube-script>\n<div class=\"o-em-consent \">\n<div class=\"o-em-consent__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-consent__content__text\">To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.<\/p>\n<p>        <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"accept\"><br \/>\n            Accept<\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><br \/>\n        <button class=\"a-link\" data-action=\"manage\">Manage my choices<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock\" data-adblock-content>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-adblock__content__text\">One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.<\/p>\n<p>            <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"reload\">Try again<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-hidden-video-player=\"FD8B9988-9D62-4B9B-933C-0B99145AD23C\">\n<div class=\"m-em-video\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/6ee15a26-52ee-11f1-a71d-005056a97e36\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/capture-13620878936a0b6627b805d8-62676111.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/6ee15a26-52ee-11f1-a71d-005056a97e36\/w:388\/p:16x9\/capture-13620878936a0b6627b805d8-62676111.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/6ee15a26-52ee-11f1-a71d-005056a97e36\/w:720\/p:16x9\/capture-13620878936a0b6627b805d8-62676111.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/6ee15a26-52ee-11f1-a71d-005056a97e36\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/capture-13620878936a0b6627b805d8-62676111.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"Truth or Fake\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                <span>Truth or Fake<\/span>                <span>\u00a9 France 24<\/span>            <\/figcaption><div class=\"m-item-image__overlay-wrapper\">\n                <button class=\"m-main-media-btn\" aria-label=\"Israel built two secret military bases in Iraq to aid Iran war, New York Times reports: Play the video\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"m-main-media-btn__picto\"><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-circle-loader\">\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><br \/>\n<time class=\"a-media-time\">04:26<\/time>                <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-05-18T19:38:21+00:00\">18\/05\/2026 &#8211; 21:38<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__video-duration\">\n<p>                            04:26 min\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/tv-shows\/truth-or-fake\/\" class=\"t-content__program m-program\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-program__label\">From the show<\/div>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/be4c88ec-0f85-11ee-a984-005056a90284\/EN-truth-or-fake.svg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/be4c88ec-0f85-11ee-a984-005056a90284\/EN-truth-or-fake.svg\" alt=\"Truth or Fake\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img  a-img--svg\"><\/p>\n<p>                    <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"t-content__reading-time a-reading-time\">\n<p>                        <span class=\"t-content__reading-time__label\">Reading time<\/span><br \/>\n                        1 min<\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                                A new report by the <em>New York Times<\/em> claims Israel built a second secret military base in Iraq\u2019s western desert to support its strikes on Iran, and that the US had knowledge of it. Citing an Iraqi official and lawmaker, the <em>Times<\/em> reported that the presence of these bases may have led to the death of the Bedouin shepherd who first sounded the alarm.                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>Iraqi officials confirmed the existence of a second base to the\u00a0<em>Times<\/em>, though didn&#8217;t disclose a location other than it is also in a western desert region.<\/p>\n<p>According to the\u00a0report, the site&#8217;s existence came to light after 29 year old Awad al-Shammari was killed in early March, after stumbling upon the base and reporting unusual military activity in the area to Iraqi authorities. His family believe his discovery cost him his life, after a helicopter opened fire on his truck, riddling it with bullets.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>\u00a0reported last week that an Israeli military base was established before Tel Aviv and Washington&#8217;s war with Iran, serving as a logistical hub for the Israeli air force and operated with US knowledge. It alleged the Israeli military launched air strikes at Iraqi forces who almost discovered the site in March.<\/p>\n<p>The new report claims Washington knew about at least one of the bases since June 2025, possibly earlier, implying this is information concealed from strategic partner Baghdad. Considering\u00a0Israel and Iraq have no diplomatic relations, this has, according to a lawmaker quoted in the article, shown \u201ca blatant disregard for Iraqi sovereignty.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Iraq&#8217;s government has not officially recognised nor commented on the outposts&#8217; existence, and the Israeli military declined to comment to the\u00a0<em>New York Times&#8217;<\/em>\u00a0repeated request for comment on both the existence of the bases and the killing of Mr al-Shammari.<\/p>\n<p>Since these reports of covert military outposts were made public, there&#8217;s also been misleading photos that have circulated online, claiming to show the Israeli sites using AI-generated imagery.<\/p>\n<p>Vedika Bahl talks through the story in <em>Truth or Fake.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors t-content__authors--multiple\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            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class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                Video by:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author m-author--small m-author--has-image\">\n<div class=\"m-author__image\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/f3830cc6-08fb-11f1-84b5-005056bf30b7\/w:388\/p:1x1\/avatar-Vedika-Bahl.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/f3830cc6-08fb-11f1-84b5-005056bf30b7\/w:177\/p:1x1\/avatar-Vedika-Bahl.png 177w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/f3830cc6-08fb-11f1-84b5-005056bf30b7\/w:388\/p:1x1\/avatar-Vedika-Bahl.png 388w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100px, 170px\" width=\"388\" height=\"388\" alt=\"Vedika Bahl\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/vedika-bahl\/\" title=\"Vedika BAHL\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n           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