The Wall Street Journal detonated a surprise of a heavy caliber by publishing a report based on American sources, in which it confirmed that Israel had established a secret military base in Iraq's Anbar desert.
The facility, which was established in February just before the outbreak of the direct confrontation with Iran, is intended to provide air cover and provide advanced logistics operations in depth.
The base houses elite Israeli units, including special forces and search and rescue teams, specifically designed to deal with critical scenarios, such as the downing of warplanes inside Iranian territory.
The "Isfahan" incident and the readiness test
According to US reports, the secret facility actually entered the "Operations Service" after a US F-15 fighter jet crashed near the Iranian city of Isfahan.
At a crucial moment, Tel Aviv offered to intervene with rescue units stationed in Anbar to help, but U.S. forces rejected the offer and preferred to carry out the rescue operation independently.
Meanwhile, Israeli planes launched parallel strikes to secure the field and prevent any approach to the wreckage of the U.S. plane.
Sheep shepherd discovers al-Qaeda
According to the newspaper, what is controversial is that the discovery of al-Qaeda was not made by satellites or Iraqi intelligence services, but by chance through a "sheep herder" in the area.
Al-Rai observed suspicious military activity, including helicopter landings and heavy gunfire, prompting him to report it to the local authorities.
As urgent Iraqi investigations began, Israel launched intensive raids to cover up the withdrawal or conceal the site, killing one Iraqi soldier and escalating diplomatic tensions between Baghdad and Washington.
The Wall Street Journal noted that these developments have sparked a wave of concern within the Iraqi military establishment, with the deputy commander of the army's operations, Qais al-Mohammadawi, describing the operation as "reckless and carried out without coordination."
An Iraqi military official acknowledged that there was a "mysterious force" operating on the ground outside of local monitoring capabilities, supported by an external air effort.
This coincided with the statements of the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Air Force, Tomer Bar, who hinted that his forces had carried out "extraordinary operations" in the context of the confrontation with Tehran.
Why the Anbar Desert in particular?
Intelligence experts explained that Israel's choice to establish a support base in western Iraq was not random, but was based on several factors, most notably the geographical vastness, as the desert covers about 23% of Iraq's area, providing vast areas to hide.
In addition to the population isolation, where the scarcity of population and the dryness of the region make it extremely difficult to monitor military movements, not to mention the strategic location as the desert extends from west of the Euphrates to connect to the borders of Syria and Jordan, making it an ideal launching pad for the Iranian depths.
The sources indicate that this desert is rich in natural resources, and the region includes cities such as Al-Qaim and Al-Rutba, and contains huge reserves of phosphates (two billion tons) and natural gas, which makes any military activity in it intersect with major economic interests.
The Washington Institute's analysis also suggests that the geographical link between the Anbar desert and the Syrian desert represents the most important "land corridor" for regional supplies.
Controlling this geographical vacuum means not only controlling 23% of Iraq's territory, but also controlling one of the most important military and logistical transportation hubs in the Middle East, which explains why "the Iraqi desert in particular" has become the focus of the news.
Fragile balance in a complex landscape
This incident puts the Baghdad government in an awkward position, as it seeks to maintain its balance between Washington and Tehran under constant U.S. pressure to disarm Iranian-backed factions.
As Western Sahara becomes an arena for settling territorial scores, Iraq's sovereignty appears to be facing a real test, especially with The Washington Institute's warnings that any party's control of this geographic vacuum means controlling the Middle East's most important military transportation contract.