Iraq denies any Israeli military activity or stationing inside its territory

The Iraqi Security Media Cell officially and decisively denied the existence of any Israeli activity or stationing inside Iraqi territory, stressing that the Iraqi desert is completely devoid of any secret military bases or unauthorized foreign forces.

This position came in direct response to what was published by the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, which talked about an alleged temporary military position of Israel deep in the Western Desert.

The head of the Security Media Cell, Major General Saad Maan, explained  in a statement on Sunday, May 10, 2026,  that the security authorities  did not monitor any sites or gatherings of foreign forces in the desert of Najaf, Karbala or other desert areas, stressing that Iraq does not allow the presence of any illegal force on its territory.

 The Iraqi security official pointed out that the joint operations commands carried out extensive surveys and inspections, which proved that the desert areas were free of any Israeli intelligence or logistical activity, which refutes the claims contained in the US report.

The cell provided an explanation regarding the incident at the beginning of March 2026, which the report tried to link to the recent allegations, stressing that what happened was a violation of an unauthorized airdrop in the Al-Nukhaib desert, and the necessary security measures were taken at the time, while a higher committee continues its investigations to reach final results.

Wall Street Journal: Israel is establishing a military post in the desert of Iraq

The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had established  a temporary military outpost inside the Iraqi desert under the U.S. flag, and used it as a logistical support center for special forces and search and rescue teams during its air operations against Iran.

A report published by the American newspaper on Saturday, May 9,  based on what it described as "informed intelligence sources," provided an integrated narrative about the nature of the site, noting that it was used as a logistical support center for the operations of Israeli special forces and search and rescue teams of the Israeli Air Force, during Tel Aviv's air campaign against Iran in recent months.

The report claimed that the site was equipped with advanced communications equipment, temporary fuel and ammunition depots, as well as a small helipad for drones. According to the newspaper, Israeli forces relied on this location to reduce the time of flights to Iranian depth, and to carry out search and rescue operations in the event of planes crashing or malfunctioning during operations.

The newspaper: Israel kills an Iraqi soldier in al-Nukhaib

One of the most controversial parts of the report was the talk of a field clash between an Iraqi army force (the 41st Brigade) and Israeli elements, with the newspaper saying that Israeli planes carried out warning strikes to prevent the Iraqi force from approaching the site, killing an Iraqi soldier.

 The report linked its content to the incident of an unauthorized airdrop in the Nukhaib desert in early March 2026, noting that the incident was "geographically proximate" to the alleged site, and that it may have been part of intelligence activity linked to the facility. However, the Iraqi Security Media Cell confirmed that the incident was subject to strict security measures and that a higher committee was continuing to investigate it.

The report did not only address the military narrative, but also the political dimension, noting that Washington was aware of the location and that it came within "limited operational coordination" between the United States and Israel during the escalation with Iran.

Iraq: Parliament to question defense and interior ministers

MP Hassan al-Kaabi, a member of the Security and Defense Committee, confirmed that the parliament will not be satisfied with official statements of denial, noting that the interrogation aims to "provide an accurate picture to public opinion about whether there are air violations or unauthorized activities inside Iraqi territory."

 MP Ali al-Fatlawi stressed the need for the two ministries to provide "detailed reports on the results of the investigation into the al-Nukhaib incident", considering that any failure to protect the air borders is "unacceptable", while MP Dhafer al-Ani considered that the US report "may be part of an information war", but stressed the need to deal with it seriously.

For his part, MP Faleh al-Khazali called for the formation of a joint investigative committee that includes representatives of parliament, the government and the judiciary, stressing that "talk about the existence of a secret foreign site in Western Sahara, even if it is inaccurate, requires a transparent investigation that dispells doubts."

Rejection and popular anger

At the grassroots level, social media sites witnessed a wide wave of interaction, as the hashtag #السيادة_error_red_topped the discussion platforms, and activist Ahmed al-Bahadli wrote that "Iraqis want clear answers, not brief statements," while activist Zainab al-Moussawi demanded that the results of the investigations related to the al-Nukhaib incident be published to the public, considering that "transparency is the only way to block the way to rumors."

A number of security analysts, including expert Hisham al-Hashimi, called for strengthening the air defence system and modernizing Western Sahara monitoring mechanisms, warning that "open areas could turn into a security gap if not seriously addressed", while journalist  Saad al-Samarrai said the ongoing controversy "reflects a general concern about the possibility of foreign parties exploiting Iraqi airspace".